An Oswego County organization is working to ensure the legal process of assisting children that experience abuse doesn’t cause them additional harm.

The Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County works to make all elements of the process work together so interviews and reports don’t have to be made repeatedly.

“We are an organization that brings other organizations together to focus on children who are victims of child abuse child sexual abuse and maltreatment,” said Executive Director Tory DeCaire. “Bringing law enforcement, CPS, prosecution, all of the resources to work together to try to minimize the trauma of having a child tell their story more than once.”

The former city of Oswego police chief said part of that is providing safe facilities for children who are victims of abuse so they experience as little exposure to the process as possible.

“In here is where you would normally have a juvenile interview, and they can monitor what’s happening with the equipment that’s in here. But it also facilitates recordings for partners to be able to take with them,” DeCaire said of the setup, which features both an interview room and a separate room for monitoring.

In the past year, the Oswego County Department of Social Services has come under increased scrutiny in the wake of the death of 17-year-old Jordan Brooks during legislative meetings in which caseworkers have urged the county to increase staffing at the department.

A recent study by the Bonadio Group commissioned by the county further bolstered that claim, encouraging the county to hire more caseworkers.

DeCaire said the advocacy center is constantly working to provide resources to combat the impact of heavy caseloads.

“We work very closely with DSS, law enforcement, prosecution. They all have a seat at the table and they’re all part of our team. We work well with them and we try to give them all the resources we have available to make their jobs easier,” DeCaire said.

The effort recently received a grant from the New York State Department of Child and Family Services for a mobile unit that can mirror the on-site interview facilities, making the rural extremes of the county accessible to workers who need in person access to children and families.

“If there are barriers in place like transportation, or if for whatever reason, something has to be done immediately or in close proximity to the house or the school, we now have the ability to do that,” DeCaire said.

He said the children using the facilities are in need of the absolute best the county can offer.

“I would love to be able to say that there will come a day when a CAC is no longer needed,” he said. “Until that day comes, we’re here providing the resources and services that are needed by the children of Oswego County.”

Anyone who is in need of assistance is encouraged to reach out to the organization.