How the Federal Shutdown Is Impacting CACC — and How We’re Responding

Like many nonprofits, Children’s Advocacy Centers of California (CACC) is being significantly affected by the ongoing federal shutdown and the resulting delays in federal grant funding.

Approximately 96% of CACC’s annual budget comes from Victims of Child Abuse Act (VOCAA) grants. These critical federal dollars are designed to strengthen California’s response to child abuse by funding training and technical assistance for the professionals who investigate these cases. The goal is simple and essential: to ensure investigations are comprehensive, trauma-informed, and responsive to the needs of every child.

Unfortunately, the shutdown has delayed the approval and administration of these federal grants. While we do not yet know when funding will be released—or when our grant period will officially begin—we are preparing for the possibility of receiving no funds during the first quarter of 2026.

What This Means for CACC

This uncertainty presents serious challenges, and we are doing everything we can to stretch our limited reserves and remain operational for as long as possible. To do so, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily reduce certain services until funding is restored.

Here is what to expect:

• Delays in Training:

  • The CACC Annual Meeting will be rescheduled from March 2026 to June 2026.

  • A limited number of Peer Reviews will continue, and Accreditation Office Hours will remain available.

  • No additional trainings will be offered until VOCAA/NCA funding resumes.

• Reductions in Technical Assistance

  • To preserve resources, we have reduced hours for several team members, including the Accreditation Consultant, Family Advocate Consultant, and Training Coordinator.

  • As a result, response times to member requests may be slower than usual.

• Suspension of CACC Travel

  • CACC staff will temporarily pause travel to regional meetings and will not be able to provide in-person technical assistance until funding restarts.

Our Commitment to California

Supporting the heroes who work in CACs through California is an honor. Through training, technical assistance, and statewide leadership, CACC’s mission is to ensure that every child who has experienced abuse receives high-quality, coordinated services.

It is heartbreaking to temporarily reduce any service—especially when the need for strong, child-centered responses is so great. Please know that we are actively pursuing additional funding and are deeply committed to restoring and expanding services as soon as possible.

How You Can Help

If you would like to support CACC during this challenging period—or anytime—your donation directly strengthens child abuse response across California.

Here’s what your generosity makes possible:

• $100: Funds 1.5 hours of consultation with an accreditation specialist to support best practices.

• $500: Provides a peer review for up to 10 forensic interviewers to improve the quality of their work.

• $1,000: Covers training for mental health clinicians in specialized trauma treatments.

• $5,000: Supports the Annual Meeting, where statewide leaders collaborate on strengthening the CAC model.

• $10,000: Supports one month of contracted specialized services for CACs, including a statewide database.

• $20,000: Underwrites one month of CACC’s core operations, supporting 54 CACs across California.

You can donate here.