NMAC Marks 10th Year, Renews Team Agreements

A signing of the Northern Michigan Alliance for Children multi-disciplinary team agreements was held April 12 at the NMAC Child Advocacy Center in Harrison. NMAC is celebrating its 10-year anniversary this year, and all of the partners were onsite to renew their partnership with the Alliance. That document is officially the Multidisciplinary Team Interagency Agreement for the Investigation of Child Abuse and Neglect. Multi-disciplinary team members from Missaukee, Gladwin and Clare counties were in attendance.

The multi-disciplinary team is comprised of service providers, such as law enforcement, prosecutors, child protective services, community mental health, medical providers, and NMAC. These team members work together through the investigation and prosecution of physical and sexual abuse against children.

NMAC offers a safe, child friendly space where children are interviewed by a trained forensic interviewer while team members watch video feed from another room. This allows for all partners to ensure they get the information they need during this interview so that the child does not have to suffer through multiple interviews, which adds to their trauma.

In 2023, a total of 199 forensic interviews were conducted: 97 in Clare, 34 in Gladwin, and 40 in Missaukee. Grim statistics show that of the state’s 83 counties, these three counties, respectively, rank 80^th, 61^st, and 56^th for child abuse and neglect investigations. While high numbers usually indicate a positive result, in this case Clare County’s 80^th ranking means it is the fourth worst in the state for these cases.

© Clare County Cleaver