Nonprofit of the Month: Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center By Grant Ayers
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in every 10 children will be a victim of sexual abuse by their 18th birthday, according to the Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center. Furthermore, they claim that 93% of victims know their offender before the incident. The Dakota Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC) is a nonprofit organization that aims to develop a coordinated response to these child sexual abuse investigations. The idea for the DCAC first came to life in November of 1996 when a task force was created in Bismarck to identify how to best serve and support children who have been sexually abused. By February of 1997, the DCAC was established and their first child in Bismarck was served.
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SUMMER 2022
Photos by Geneva Nodland
Since their launch in Bismarck, they have served all North Dakota counties, all five of the state’s Native American reservations, as well as parts of northern South Dakota and Eastern Montana. In 2021, 940 people were helped across 53% of the state, according to the DCAC 2021 Annual Report. Furthermore, they provided 357 forensic interviews, 141 medical evaluations and 1,831 mental health sessions. Paula Condol, executive director of the DCAC, joined to discuss the organization’s mission, what many people might not know and what actions readers can take to make a difference.
