Children's protection center earns national accreditation

Ventura County Safe Harbor West is now officially accredited with the National Children's Alliance.

Safe Harbor West is an interview and advocacy center for child physical assault and child and adult sexual assault victims. It provides forensic medical exams and interviews in a safe, secure, victim-friendly setting. The center also links victims and their families with support services from victim advocates and local nonprofit agencies.

The National Children's Alliance is a nationwide nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. Its mission is to promote and support communities in providing coordinated investigation and comprehensive response to victims of severe child abuse.

Accredited members must demonstrate that they are a fully functioning child advocacy center that provides comprehensive, culturally competent, multidisciplinary team response in a dedicated child-friendly setting and complies with 10 standards of practice.

Safe Harbor West was established based on these standards of operation and applied for accreditation last year.