Although our center is intentionally built to look and feel like a home, WCCAC is not a residential shelter. Instead, we serve as Williamson County’s accredited Children’s Advocacy Center, coordinating forensic interviews, medical exams, family advocacy, and trauma-focused therapy—all without providing overnight lodging. When families need emergency housing, we will work to connect them with partners in our community.

Want to know why we chose a house-like design? Click Here 

A Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) is a child-focused facility where a multidisciplinary team—including law enforcement, prosecution, child protective services, mental health, and medical professionals—works together to investigate, treat, and prosecute cases of child abuse. This collaborative approach is essential because the traditional criminal justice system was not designed with child victims in mind.

Without a CAC, children often endure repeated, uncoordinated interviews from various agencies, leading to re-traumatization and inconsistent case information. By bringing all services under one roof, CACs minimize trauma for children, streamline the investigative process, and improve outcomes—both for child victims and for holding offenders accountable.

WCCAC serves children who have experienced abuse or witnessed violent crime—including, but not limited to, sexual abuse, child sex trafficking, physical abuse, and neglect.

While the abuse may happen to one child, the impact often affects the entire family. That’s why siblings and non-offending caregivers may also be eligible for support services, including advocacy, education, and trauma-informed therapy. Our goal is to help the whole family begin healing—together.

In addition to direct services, WCCAC is a trusted education partner across Williamson County. We work with multiple ISDs and youth-serving organizations to provide K-12 students with age-appropriate body safety and safe relationship training, helping prevent abuse before it happens.

While CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) often serve the same children, their roles and purposes are different.

A CAC, like WCCAC, is a child-focused, trauma-informed facility where children come to share their experiences of abuse or witnessing a violent crime in a safe and supportive environment. Children are referred to the CAC by law enforcement or child protective services (DFPS) to participate in a coordinated, team-based response known as the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) approach. This team includes professionals from law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, medical, mental health, and victim advocacy, all working together to reduce trauma and support healing for the child and their non-offending family members.

CASA, on the other hand, is a volunteer-driven program that advocates for the best interests of children who are in the foster care system. CASA volunteers work alongside the court to ensure that a child’s medical, educational, emotional, and physical needs are met while they are in state custody.

In short: CACs help children disclose abuse and begin healing through coordinated services, while CASA volunteers support children throughout their time in foster care, making sure they are safe and their needs are not overlooked in the legal process.