Children's Safe Harbor’s mission is to protect and enhance the life of every child who has the courage to battle sexual and physical abuse.

 The Multi-disciplinary Team Approach 

The predominant approach to child abuse investigations at Children's Safe Harbor is the multi-disciplinary team model.  This approach supports enhanced communications between the various agencies that respond to allegations of child abuse, especially sexual and severe physical abuse. 

This coordinated community response plays a vital role in the successful protection and prosecution of child victims of abuse.  The coordination of law enforcement, child protective services, mental and medical health providers and victim advocates lay the foundation for the minimizing of trauma for children and their families throughout the investigation process.   

Families with diverse economic resources and varying cultural and ethnic backgrounds have utilized the services of Children's Safe Harbor.  Both male and female children ranging in ages from 2 to 17 years have received the full array of services provided through this children's advocacy center. 

Children's Safe Harbor opened its doors to serve sexually and severely abused children in August 1998. Since that time over 2,362 children and their non-offending caregivers have been served through the neutral fact-finding service of a forensic interview.  Over the years, from 41% to 71% of those same families have received individual, family and/or group counseling services.  And since June 2003, when our medical program opened its doors, over 76 children have been referred for a non-invasive sexual assault examination.

Our average client is a 7 year old, Caucasian female who has been victimized by someone that she knows and trusts.  All our services are provided free of charge.

Local, Statewide and National Affiliations

Local

Children's Safe Harbor is a member agency of the Montgomery County United Way and receives funding to support our forensic interview and counseling programs.

Children's Safe Harbor is partially funded through the Montgomery County Community Development Block Grant Program and receives funding to support our forensic interview program.

Children's Safe Harbor is partially funded through the Montgomery County Commissioners Court and receives funding to support our medical program.

Children's Safe Harbor is partially funded through the San Jacinto County Commissioners Court and receives matching funds for our rural initiative program for that community.

Children's Safe Harbor is partially funded through the Walker County District Attorney's Office and receives matching funding for our rural initiative program for that community.

Statewide

Children's Safe Harbor is a Full Member of Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas, Inc. the state association for children's advocacy centers.  With this Full Membership status we are in full compliance with the Texas Standards for CACs and the Texas Family Code Chapter 264, Subsection E.  Additionally, we receive funding to support our services coordinator program and two rural initiatives in Walker and San Jacinto Counties.

National

Children's Safe Harbor is a Full Member of the National Children's Alliance, the national association for children's advocacy centers.

Children's Safe Harbor receives funding from the Federal Victim of Crime Act which supports the forensic interview and counseling programs for the provision of direct services to crime victims.