The Children’s Advocacy Center of Erie County is funded through a grant provided by the National Children’s Alliance, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Erie Community Foundation and community donations. Created through the collaboration of several community organizations in 2001, the center is integrally linked with all those in the community working to address child abuse.

District Attorney Elizabeth Hirz is the District Attorney’s Office prosecution liaison to the center, and Sergeant Joseph Spusta is the law enforcement liaison.

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Erie County is a child-focused, child-friendly program that coordinates several core disciplines in the investigation of sexual and physical abuse against children. These core disciplines are:

• Child protective services
• Law enforcement
• Medical treatment
• Mental health
• Prosecution
• Victim advocacy

Statistics prove that prosecution rates for child abuse can be improved when an abuse investigation begins within the first 24 hours from the time the abuse is disclosed. The outcome is a 93 percent confession rate with immediate investigation versus a 17 percent rate if the investigation starts after 24 hours. Since the inception of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Erie County, the conviction rate of child abuse offenders is currently 97 percent.

If you have information or would like to report suspected child abuse, please call the ChildLine hotline at 1-800-932-0313.

If you have information or want to report suspected child neglect, please contact:

Erie County Office of Children & Youth: 814-451-6600

After hours: 814-451-1503