Our Services at the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) of Lawrence County

The CAC offers programs to:

• Promote healthy prenatal outcomes for pregnant women.
• Enhance child development.
• Promote happy homes and positive parenting.
• Support moms, dads, and grandparents.

Early Head Start (EHS)

EHS offers education and child development services for low-income parents and their very young children.

The weekly program connects you to resources and gives you the chance to socialize.

EHS helps your child learn skills and meet milestones in all areas, including:

• Movement
• Thinking and learning (cognitive growth)
• Communication
• Social and emotional

Learn more about EHS programs.

The Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) serving Lawrence and Mercer Counties

The NFP is for first-time moms-to-be. The program starts early in your pregnancy and lasts through your child’s second birthday.

Specially trained nurses make routine visits to provide you with the:

• Care and support needed for a healthy pregnancy.
• Confidence and tools to assure a healthy start for your baby.
• Skills to envision a life of stability and success for both you and your child.

Find out more about the NFP program.

Parents as Teachers

Parents as Teachers is a parent education program that promotes healthy, safe kids who are ready to learn.

A family development expert will come to your home twice a month to:

• Support and help you embrace your role as your child's first and best teacher.
• Teach you how to detect any delays in your child's growth.
• Partner with you in getting your child ready for school.

Learn more about Parents as Teachers.

Next Level Fatherhood

Our Next Level Fatherhood program:

• Focuses on building the man first and the father second.
• Equips you with the self-awareness, compassion, and other skills every good parent needs.
• Teaches you how to be involved, responsible, and committed 24/7.

The CAC's multidisciplinary team (MDT) is the heart of our response to allegations of child abuse.

The MDT offers programs and services to:

• Respond to concerns of child abuse and prevent other children from becoming abuse victims.
• Provide safety and promote justice for child abuse cases.
• Help families heal through one-on-one and group support sessions.

Child death and near fatality team

A suspicious death or near-death of a child often impacts the wider community.

The CAC helps you better understand the "why," so we can discuss how to prevent more untimely childhood deaths.

Family support programs

• Helping you heal. The CAC provides whole family parenting support through lived experiences to help you move into and through recovery. Our program supports you in your pursuit of spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.
• Reuniting families. The CAC provides family-centered, strengths-based education, in both the office and your home. Parents receive case management, coaching, and a range of intensive support services in both one-on-one and group settings.

Forensic interview

This gives children a safe place to tell their story to an expert who will protect them and help them heal.

Members of the forensic team will often observe the interview from another room.

Trauma-informed outpatient victim services

The CAC offers victims of abuse specialized, trauma-informed:

• Forensic medical care at UPMC Jameson.
• Behavioral, parent-child interaction, and other forms of therapy.

The CAC offers adults, kids, families, and professionals training and support on topics such as:

• Child abuse awareness
• Parenting
• Children's health and wellness
• Trauma

1, 2, 3, 4 parents

This hands-on workshop teaches parents and caregivers the basic skills of parenting young children, ages 1 to 4 years old.

Child trauma workshops and training

The CAC offers training to help the community better understand trauma’s impact on victims, families, and the providers who serve them.

Cribs for Kids partner

The CAC is a partner with Cribs for Kids, providing cribs and resources to families throughout Lawrence County.

We offer parents safe sleep info to help:

• Prevent accidental suffocation.
• Reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Infant massage

Infant massage is a way to gently nurture and spend time with your baby. It helps the baby relax and sleep while reducing stress.

CAC nurses work with moms to teach them about infant massage.

Mommy and Me breastfeeding support group

The CAC and UPMC Horizon offer this support group to help new parents learn from others about their breastfeeding wins and challenges.

Parent Café

Parent Café gives parents and caregivers the chance to connect and share tips on building and maintaining strong, healthy families.

Darkness to Light^® Stewards of Children^®

Stopping child abuse starts with adults.

Stewards of Children is a two-hour workshop that teaches adults 5 proven ways to protect children from sexual abuse.

It includes survivor stories, expert guidance, and group discussion.

Triple P: positive parenting program

Triple P is an evidence-based parenting program.

It offers simple and practical methods to help parents:

• Build strong, healthy ties with their child.
• Manage their child's behavior — both good and bad — with confidence.
• Set rules and prevent problems from forming.

Thanks to generous community partners, the CAC provides our Lawrence County neighbors with a range of services.

Food/nutrition distribution program

This program provides food and nutrition each month to about 20 low-income families in Lawrence County.

Great Childhood campaign

How can we make great childhoods possible for each child?

The CAC's Great Childhood campaign runs from April through June and promotes the value of:

• Investing in great childhoods to help shape happy, healthy young adults.
• Raising our kids in a safe, stable, and nurturing setting.

Adopt a Family

The CAC, through support of UPMC Jameson staff and other community groups, provides gifts to less fortunate families during the holiday season. Each year, this project serves more than 100 people.

Give Thanks Day

The CAC and its community partners provide healthy meals that promote gratitude and joy each Thanksgiving. We serve meal baskets to over 100 families each year.