Children’s Advocacy Center

Collier Children’s Advocacy Center (Collier CAC) is Collier County’s first line of defense for children who may have experienced abuse. As an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Collier CAC unites medical, forensic, therapeutic, advocacy, parenting‑support, and child‑protection teams under one umbrella so each child tells their story once, receives expert care immediately, and begins healing in a safe, child-centered setting.

For almost four decades, Collier CAC has championed robust, gap-free safety nets for every child in our community. Last year alone 1,400 children and family members relied on these services; 282 forensic medical exams preserved critical evidence, and the Collier CAC team’s gold‑standard interviewing helped secure an 87 % conviction rate when cases went to trial. All care was delivered free of charge, saving vulnerable families on average up to $3,400 per case and ensuring every child, regardless of circumstance, could find safety, healing, and hope.

Funds raised this season will:

• Conduct 282 rapid, trauma-informed medical examinations that detect injuries early, strengthen prosecutions, and reassure each child that they are safe and their body is okay.
• Deliver evidence-based therapy and long-term advocacy to 737 children, guiding them from crisis to courtroom—from victim to survivor—and ultimately back to healthy thriving children.
• Provide parenting education that breaks intergenerational cycles of abuse.
• Reunify all programs in a single, child-friendly facility—part of our $7.2 million “Lifting Up. Building Strength” fundraising initiative aimed to improve care continuity and increase service capacity.
• Launch county-wide awareness initiatives so every resident knows “abuse happens here—and help starts here.”

With Bryan Lee
Introduction by Dr. Pia Myers Wolfe