The Child Advocacy Center - The Ceceyara Foundation

The Ceceyara Child Advocacy Center

Where small voices can be heard

Providing a safe environment to make disclosures, stop the abuse and get help.

The Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre provides a safe, child-centred, community-oriented, non-threatening, facility-based service in which child-focused community stakeholders work together to achieve the well-being of children and their families traumatised by sexual abuse.

The Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre is a one-stop centre providing all the needed supports and services to children that are being sexually abused or likely to be abused. The centre, which is the first of its kind in this part of the world, provides a coordinated approach to the investigation, treatment and prosecution of child sexual abuse. We minimise the impact of sexual abuse to the child and the family by providing children who have suffered abuse with legal, medical and specialised psychosocial support at no cost.

Our Aim at The Child Advocacy Centre is to reduce the trauma suffered by children through:

Reducing the number of times the child has to recount their experience of abuse.
Increasing timely access to support and therapeutic resources for children & their families.
Providing long-term support & follow-up for children and their family
Providing a faster and more streamlined investigation process.

We provide the leading practice in addressing the mental health needs of children who have experienced sexual abuse, while ensuring a coordinated investigation and prosecution of cases in a manner which serves the developmental & emotional needs of children.

Our Multi-Disciplinary Team include social workers, therapists, advocates, lawyers, forensic interviewers and volunteers, interface with the Police, Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Youths and Social Development, Mental Health and Medical Professionals and enable a multi-disciplinary approach to attending to cases of child sexual abuse.

Advocating for child and family

What every kid needs:

Treatment

Providing information concerning medical and mental health services, examinations, evaluations;
Providing specialised medical evaluation and treatment as part of the Child Advocacy Centre response.
Conducting multidisciplinary team case review meetings and provide working space for liaison staff;
Providing a consistent, comfortable child-friendly setting for children youth and their families, where they can feel safe and cared for;
Providing crisis intervention and emotional support through our Child Advocacy Program, from the disclosure of abuse, throughout the investigation and prosecution of the case.
Providing therapy for children. Individual, group, and play therapy are offered. Teens and their care-givers may participate in the Survivors support group.

Investigation & Prosecution

Our Multi-Disciplinary team interfaces with the Police, Ministry of Justice, etc.to attend to all cases of child sexual abuse
Assisting in the investigations of sexual abuse cases by carrying out neutral, fact finding and coordinated forensic interviews of children and non- offending family members, by trained professionals in a child-friendly non-threatening environment, where disclosure of abuse is made to the helpline or at the Centre;
Ensuring that thorough police investigations are carried out, and successful prosecutions are achieved;
Limiting the number of times each child is interviewed;
Limiting the children’s need to travel to various investigative and child protective agencies;
Being the advocate for the child and family throughout the process;
Providing children and families with all necessary support to achieve successful outcomes;

Prevention Education & Resources

Providing community resources to communities, and church groups about the services, along with information and statistics about child abuse. Providing Adult prrvention programs;
Providing age-appropriate prevention education programs to children. Providing a resource library – books, tapes, and other materials to be available for children and their families. In addition, a professional resource selection is provided for those working on child abuse cases.
Providing professional continuing education for all professionals working in child abuse. Carrying out annual major child abuse campaigns to make the community aware of the magnitude of the problem in our region.

You can help too. Donate to Support our Efforts.

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The Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre

The Cece Yara Child Advocacy Centre provides a safe, child-centred facility-based service for children traumatised by sexual abuse. Help us to continue to keep our doors open so kids who need help can always find it. DONATE NOW

Browse a Selection of Our Publications

We have provided several child friendly, culturally sensitive and developmental appropriate information and guidelines that can help adults be there for children.

5 Aug, 2019August 16, 2020

How To Avoid One-On-One Situations.

Cece Yara Foundation

Eliminate or reduce isolated, one-on-one situations so as to decrease risk of abuse.

5 Aug, 2019August 16, 2020

Cece Yara’s Guide to prevention

Cece Yara Foundation

This guide teaches about private parts, trusted adults, keeping secrets, refusal of bad touch.

5 Aug, 2019August 16, 2020

Why Children Are Afraid To Tell

Cece Yara Foundation

Most child victims never report sexual abuse. Many abusers tell children the abuse is a game.

5 Aug, 2019August 16, 2020

Cece Yara’s 3 Steps To Dealing With Reported Abuse

Cece Yara Foundation

The Cece Yara Foundation is dedicated to safeguarding the childhood of every Nigerian child. Our three steps guild provides three steps for dealing with disclosure of abuse

5 Aug, 2019August 16, 2020

How To Talk To Under-7s

Cece Yara Foundation

As children age, conversations on safety should also continue but the way and manner of talking to them should match their development and understanding.