About Us
Our Story
In 1997, members of the Barnstable County Task Force on Children; a collaboration with Cape Cod Healthcare, the Department of Children and Families, the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Office and Barnstable County, identified that there was a need for specialized services for children who were victims of child abuse. Seeing no agencies in our Cape & Island community that provided the specialized supports and services needed, they created Barnstable County’s first Child Advocacy Center to work in partnership to provide a comprehensive multidisciplinary response to child sexual abuse cases.
Children’s Cove provides a compassionate, efficient, child-friendly facility for child abuse intervention. Children and families journey through a streamlined process which reduces the chances that the children are re-traumatized and preserves the best evidence for investigators.
Children’s Cove staff facilitates an under-one-roof collaboration of social and legal agencies to protect, treat, make counseling referrals for child abuse victims and their families, and to investigate and prosecute the abusers.
With more than 800 Child Advocacy Centers in the United States, Children’s Cove is the only agency of its kind that provides the Cape & Islands with such comprehensive services. Children’s Cove provides leadership within the Cape & Islands community. To help educate professionals who work with children, Children’s Cove provides trainings and resources to schools, summer camps, daycare centers, fire/police departments, and other community agencies. Children’s Cove continues to spread awareness amongst the Cape & Islands community with the belief that awareness can empower children to report right away.
Our Mission
Children’s Cove provides compassionate, comprehensive, and collaborative response services at no cost to survivors of child abuse through its evidence-based programs, network of community partnerships, educational outreach and awareness efforts. Its multidisciplinary team works together to empower survivors, promote healthy outcomes, and help mitigate the stigma of child abuse.
Our Vision
To create a community where children are free of abuse, have a voice that is heard, and where they enjoy healthy, safe, and empowered lives.
Our Values
- Respect and advocacy for the rights and safety for children and youth
- Multidisciplinary collaboration with partner and community agencies
- Promote awareness and prevention for the community
- Provide trauma informed, child friendly, culturally sensitive, evidence based care for children and their non-offending caregivers
- Provide continuing education and emotional maintenance for staff and team members
