Gloucester County's new Child Advocacy Center opens

WOODBURY, New Jersey (WPVI) -- The Gloucester County Prosecutor's office cut the ribbon on a new child advocacy center in Woodbury on Tuesday.

The center will serve as a safe, comfortable space where children can share difficult descriptions of abuse to trained professionals.

The primary focus of the Child Advocacy Center is to serve as a strong foundational element when investigating allegations of child abuse, both physical and sexual, to include the forensic interviews of child victims and the interviews of non-offending parents.

The Child Advocacy Center is also utilized to meet with families to discuss available services, to orient them to the criminal justice process, and to prepare the family and victim for courtroom testimony.

It is located in a building on Glover Street that underwent extensive renovation.

Officials found the need for a larger space necessary due to a rise in the number of crimes against children during and following the pandemic.