What We Do

Mission Kids coordinates the investigation of child abuse cases in Montgomery County using a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) approach. The team includes the District Attorney’s Office, all 50 local Police Departments, the Office of Children and Youth, specially trained child abuse pediatricians from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), child advocates, and trauma focused mental health professionals.

History & Story

In communities without a Child Advocacy Center, when a child is abused and finally finds the courage to tell someone about it, he/she is required to participate in multiple interviews, in places like police departments or hospitals, each time reliving the horrors of the abuse. This process causes unnecessary trauma to many children, making it challenging for them to find the strength to testify in court. As a result, child abusers may go free when their victims cannot find the strength to testify.

That is how cases of child abuse used to be handled, until then Montgomery County District Attorney (now Judge) Risa Vetri Ferman and Laurie O’Connor, Director of the Office of Children & Youth, co-founded Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County as a child focused and safe place for children to tell the story of their abuse. Supported by the Board of Directors, Abbie Newman then Executive Director (now CEO) grew the non-profit agency to be a nationally renowned organization that guides victims on the road toward hope and healing.

And the statistics are staggering. Approximately 1 in 10 children* will be sexually abused before they turn 18. Many more will suffer serious physical abuse, neglect or witness violent crime. Sadly, all forms of child abuse occur in every community, socio-economic, racial, religious and cultural group.