To Report Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect, Call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96ABUSE or 1-800-962-2873.
Our Services
Kids House has the expertise to treat victims of child abuse and trauma. At our child-friendly facility, Kids House has a group of skilled and trained professionals who provide comprehensive services, which include forensic interviews, medical exams, victim support, and trauma therapy. Through the multidisciplinary approach, Kids House is able to streamline services and reduce the risk of revictimization of the child victim by collaborating with our partners to ensure that child abuse victims and their families have access to support under one roof. Kids House is dedicated to its vision to break the cycle of violence and end child abuse forever.
Child Advocate Program
At Kids House, our Child Advocates support child abuse victims and their families by providing emotional support, crisis intervention, and system navigation. Our Child Advocates welcome families to Kids House, explain the investigative and judicial processes, and help de-escalate anxiety. They bridge the communication between the child’s family and the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT), which includes medical professionals, law enforcement, mental health therapists, and prosecutors. Child Advocates track case progress and assist with practical needs like legal advocacy and emergency resources. By assessing the ongoing needs of the child and the non-offending caregivers, our Child Advocates provide direct referrals for forensic medical exams, trauma therapy, and other critical community assistance. Additionally, Child Advocates prepare children and their families for the realities of testifying or attending court proceedings, ensuring they understand what to expect and providing a comforting presence during hearings.
Child Protection Team Program
The Kids House Child Protection Team (CPT) takes a coordinated, child-centric approach to how child abuse cases are processed. Our CPT Case Coordinators are specially trained Forensic Interviewers who conduct neutral, non-leading, and age-appropriate recorded conversations with children who may have been abused or witnessed a crime. Their goal is to gather factual, legally defensible information in a compassionate, trauma-informed environment. This approach prevents children from having to recount their trauma multiple times to different investigators. CPT Case Coordinators skills include building rapport with children, asking open-ended questions, preserving evidence through audio and visual recordings of interviews, and testifying in court to explain the interview process and how the child’s disclosures were documented. Kids House interviewers coordinate with other members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure that all necessary investigative and safety details are gathered in one interview session.
Medical Trauma Program
Kids House offers specially trained medical staff who provide age-appropriate evaluations for young victims of abuse and neglect. The evaluations help identify any medical conditions or trauma which must be treated, as well as collect and document evidence. The medical examination is not painful and is minimally invasive. Children are never forced and are given as much time as they need to feel comfortable with the exam. At Kids House, children are treated with care, respect, and dignity.
Mental Health Program
At Kids House, children participate in evidence-based, trauma informed therapy modalities to reduce the harmful effects of the trauma they have experienced. While working with their therapist, children develop healthy coping skills, gain self-confidence, learn to understand and effectively express emotions, and can identify and draw on their own strengths to leave them better equipped to handle life’s challenges. Children who have received a forensic interview at Kids House may be referred for therapy. In addition, anyone in the child’s immediate family and affected by the trauma are also eligible for services. When a child endures a traumatic experience, the whole family feels its effects. We know that caring, supportive adults in a child’s life can lessen the impact. Kids House aims to restore hope in families and empower children by helping them feel seen and heard, learn to cope with scary thoughts and intense feelings, build resilience, and be around adults who understand the effects of trauma on a young person’s life.
Professional Trainings
We provide community training on various child abuse/neglect topics for health care providers, law enforcement, Guardian Ad Litems, and those involved with Embrace Families and Community Coordinated Care for Children (4C).
Child Abuse Prevention Services
Occasionally, Kids House hosts Parenting Classes, which are offered to equip parents with appropriate tools and skills to care for their children. By ensuring that parents have the skills, knowledge, and resources to take care of their children, we can help prevent child abuse and neglect by strengthening families and communities.