Victim Advocacy and Support Services – Court Supports

Victim advocacy and support services are offered to all children, youth, and families at the CYAC to help reduce trauma and improve outcomes.

Activities

Victim advocacy and support services can be provided when the child/youth Victim advocacy and support services can be provided when the child/youth and family come to the CYAC for investigative elements, or during the court process. This page focuses on supports through the court process. For other victim supports, click here [insert link to the court support page]

CYAC activities within the core are of victim advocacy and support services (court supports) may include: 

  • Provide information about and assistance with completing Victim Impact Statements, and with registering for victim safety notifications
  • Accompany the child/youth to court, which may include the service of an Accredited Facility Dog
  • Support and prepare the child/youth and caregivers for the criminal court process
  • Discuss testimonial accommodations with the child/youth, caregivers, and/or MDT
  • Prepare the child/youth for emotional responses to court proceedings and/or testifying
  • Provide court orientation (e.g., courthouse tour, review court room protocols, provide education materials)
  • Provide information on the criminal justice system process and the roles of key parties
  • Arrange, facilitate, and/or accompany victims to meetings with criminal justice system personnel (e.g., Crown Prosecutors)
  • Provide updates to the child/youth and family on court proceedings that are scheduled and/or conducted

For more detail on victim advocacy and support services, see the national guideline and key components.

CYAC Guidelines

Outputs

The types of activities at your CYAC will determine what outputs you track related to victim advocacy and support services. Example outputs are: 

  • Availability and access to testimonial aids
  • # of times court support is provided
  • Type and nature of court supports provided
  • # of times canine support is requested
  • # of times canine support is provided
  • # of times remote testimony is requested
  • # of times remote testimony is used
  • # of Crown Prosecutor meetings
  • Availability and access to Restorative Justice

Child and youth outcomes

Victim advocacy and support services within the CYAC model can contribute to safety, justice, and healing for children, youth, and their family. Ways to know how victim advocacy and support services contribute to these outcomes are: 

Safety

  • Reasonable time between different stages/steps of investigation and legal processes

Justice

  • Children and youth make informed decisions about their participation in court processes
  • Children, youth, and families are informed about the court process and all potential resources/accommodations available to them and understand processes for making requests

Healing

  • Children, youth, and caregiver autonomy is respected
  • Children and youth are treated with dignity throughout the process

Data Collection Practices

Data collection practices need to reflect your local operational and community context. You may already have tools in place to track these outputs and outcomes, or have tools that can be adapted to reflect these outputs and outcomes. If you need support in enhancing your data collection practices, please connect with us.

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