Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center

What Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center does

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating as South Carolina's first accredited Children's Advocacy Center (CAC), founded in 1989 as the Lowcountry Children's Center and rebranded to its current name in 2017. Headquartered at 1061 King Street in Charleston with a second location in Mount Pleasant, the center serves as the designated coordinating body for child abuse response across Charleston and Berkeley counties. Its service portfolio is built on the national CAC multidisciplinary model: forensic interviews conducted in child-friendly settings by specially trained therapists; mental health assessments and therapy delivered through a full suite of evidence-based modalities (TF-CBT, PCIT, PSB-CBT, RRFT, AF-CBT, CFTSI, and an Abuse Clarification process); on-site medical evaluations provided by MUSC's board-certified child abuse pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners; weekly multidisciplinary team (MDT) case coordination with law enforcement, DSS, prosecution, and guardians ad litem; and intake, family, and youth advocacy to navigate families through the response system. Layered on these core services are specialized programs including the Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) program (launched 2010, with a 10-year follow-up study showing 2% recidivism), the IMPACT Program for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, the Safe Babies Court Team for infants and toddlers in foster care, and Project BEST, a statewide dissemination partnership with MUSC funded by The Duke Endowment since 2007.

The organization operates on a donation-and-grant-funded model with no fees charged to client families. Revenue streams include suggested individual donation tiers ($250 Compassion / $500 Healing / $1,400 Hope) with monthly recurring options, multi-year restricted and unrestricted foundation and government grants (notably a 5-year, $3.39M Duke Endowment grant awarded January 2024 and three consecutive Office for Victims of Crime competitive grants), annual fundraising events (the 2019 dinner auction raised $781,120), corporate gifts, and a Next Child Fund endowment. Distribution is anchored by two physical sites, phone and email intake, mandated-reporter training programs, and a regional MDT partner network. The 2024 strategic plan ("A New Path Forward"), developed with consultants 1000 Feathers, organizes operations around a prevent-protect-heal mission framework. In 2025 the center served 1,317 children and families; in prior periods the homepage reports 791 children helped, 1,106 professionals trained, and 652 supporters engaged. The organization holds National Children's Alliance accreditation, is led by Executive Director Beverly S. Hutchison (promoted in 2021 after 30 years of service), and is governed by an independent Board of Directors.

Name

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center

Legal name

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center

Website

https://deenortoncenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Children's Advocacy Center in Charleston, South Carolina that delivers coordinated forensic interviews, evidence-based therapy, on-site pediatric medical evaluations, and multidisciplinary case coordination to child abuse victims and their families across Charleston and Berkeley counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Advocacy Services

NAICS

Child Care Services (6244), Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG), Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Child advocacy services
• Forensic interviewing
• Trauma therapy
• Abuse prevention education
• Multidisciplinary case coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations & Recurring Giving: 501(c)(3) tax-deductible individual contributions with suggested giving tiers ($1,400 Hope, $500 Healing, $250 Compassion) and an option to make the gift a monthly recurring donation. Tax ID 57-0905724.
2. Foundation & Government Grants: Multi-year restricted and unrestricted grants from foundations and government sources, including The Duke Endowment ($3,390,000 over 5 years for Project BEST), Office for Victims of Crime (3rd consecutive year grant), Trident United Way Community Program Investment Grant, and Rite Aid Foundation grants.
3. Special Event Fundraising: Annual dinner auction (raised $781,120 in 2019; 20th annual 'New Dream' dinner held in 2020), Giving Tuesday campaigns, Pinwheels for Prevention fundraiser, and other community fundraising events.
4. Corporate & Major Donor Gifts: Larger capital campaign gifts and corporate donations, e.g., $500,000 campaign gift (2018) and $35,000 from 1st Franklin Financial Corporation to support services for abused children.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center delivers a coordinated, child-focused response to child abuse through forensic interviews, evidence-based trauma therapy, caregiver/family assessments, on-site pediatric medical evaluations, and weekly multidisciplinary team (MDT) case coordination. Its specialized programs include the Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) Program, the IMPACT Program for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, the Safe Babies Court Team, and the statewide Project BEST dissemination partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina. All client services are provided free of charge to children and families in the Charleston and Berkeley county region.

Product overview

Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center operates a unified, single-organization service model rather than a multi-product software platform. Its offering centers on the core Client Services — Advocacy, Forensic Interviews, Mental Health Assessments and Therapy Services, Caregiver and Family Assessments, Medical Services, and Multidisciplinary Case Coordination — which together implement the national Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) model. Layered on top of these core services are specialized programs that extend the platform: the Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) Program, the IMPACT Program for Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children, the Safe Babies Court Team™, and the statewide Project BEST dissemination partnership with MUSC. Education/training offerings (Professional Training Programs including the Child Abuse School Liaison, plus community Prevention Education) and support services such as the Facility Dog Program (Braelynn) round out the portfolio. The 2024 "A New Path Forward" strategic plan organizes all of these around the prevent–protect–heal mission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IMPACT Program: Improving Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Address Child Trafficking — Dee Norton's program developing the community's response to youth victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) and human trafficking.
• Project BEST
• Safe Babies Court Team

Products and services

• Forensic Interview Service Neutral, fact-finding interviews conducted in a child-friendly setting by therapists trained in evidence-based, non-leading interview techniques for children when there is a concern of abuse or witnessing a crime.
• Mental Health Assessments and Therapy Services Comprehensive mental health assessments and evidence-based trauma therapy typically delivered in 10 to 25 sessions, tailored to trauma symptoms in abused children and their families.
• Caregiver and Family Assessments Safe-space assessments for caregivers and family members to share their experiences and receive support and recommendations to understand and respond to their child's reactions.
• Medical Services On-site, comprehensive forensic medical evaluations provided by MUSC board-certified child abuse pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners; non-invasive head-to-toe exams that may include STI/pregnancy testing.
• Multidisciplinary Case Coordination (MDT) Weekly MDT case review staffings bringing together law enforcement, DSS, prosecution, medical, and mental health professionals to coordinate safety, treatment, and case-management plans.
• Advocacy (Intake, Family and Youth Advocates) Trained Intake, Family and Youth Advocates help youth and families navigate the CAC response from the first phone call through the collaborative community response.
• Problematic Sexual Behavior (PSB) Program Specialized family-focused treatment program (PSB-CBT-based) for children/adolescents exhibiting developmentally inappropriate or harmful sexual behaviors; includes group therapy, family education, and community awareness, with a 2% recidivism rate observed in a 10-year follow-up study.
• IMPACT Program (CSEC response) Coordinated response for youth victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), providing individualized plans of action across multidisciplinary partners.
• Safe Babies Court Team Community-engagement, systems-change initiative coordinated with SCIMHA and led by judges overseeing child maltreatment cases, focused on infants/toddlers (0–3) in foster care due to abuse/neglect.
• Project BEST Statewide collaborative partnership with the Medical University of South Carolina that uses dissemination, training, and implementation strategies to increase capacity to deliver evidence-supported trauma-focused practices across South Carolina.
• Professional Training Programs Cross-training for Multidisciplinary Team partners including the Child Abuse School Liaison (CASL) program, Trauma-Informed Educators, Identifying/Responding/Reporting Allegations of Child Abuse, and bespoke MDT trainings.
• Prevention Education Community prevention trainings and parent/teen-facing communication resources covering body safety, boundaries, secrets vs. surprises, and other protective conversations; custom prevention trainings available on request.
• Facility Dog Program (Braelynn) Facility dog matched through Canine Companions for Independence that supports children and families during visits to the Center and during forensic interviews.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-year follow-up study showed only 2% recidivism rate in youth who completed the PSB-CBT program
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer and partner on Project BEST (Bringing Empirically Supported Treatments to South Carolina Children and Families), a state-wide initiative funded by The Duke Endowment since 2007. MUSC's Department of Child Abuse Pediatrics provides board-certified child abuse pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners who deliver comprehensive forensic medical evaluations on-site at Dee Norton. Co-Directors of Project BEST are Dr. Rochelle Hanson and Dr. Carole Swiecicki.
• MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners to provide board-certified child abuse pediatricians and pediatric nurse practitioners who deliver comprehensive forensic medical evaluations on-site at Dee Norton. Division Chief, Child Abuse Pediatrics is Dr. Deana Lashley.
• Junior League of CharlestonflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner. In 1975, the Junior League of Charleston identified gaps in services for child victims; in 1989 it led the establishment of South Carolina's first Children's Advocacy Center as the Lowcountry Children's Center, Inc. Dee Holmes Norton and Suzy Parsell Thompson were co-chairs of the Junior League committee that researched the coordinated response to child abuse in the Lowcountry.
• National Children's Alliance (NCA)flagshipOthersAccrediting body for the Children's Advocacy Center model; Dee Norton is an Accredited CAC demonstrating adherence to NCA standards. NCA also provided national leadership pathway for former Executive Director Dr. Carole Swiecicki, who was elected to the NCA Board of Directors effective May 31, 2015.
• South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association (SCIMHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner for the expansion of Safe Babies Court Team™ into Charleston and Berkeley counties. SCIMHA's Safe Babies Court Manager Sharleta Woodall, MSW, IMHM-E® is leading the implementation. The role of Community Coordinator is being hired under SCIMHA to expand the Safe Babies Court Team™ into the Lowcountry.
• Coastal Pediatrics AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in expanding child abuse prevention training programs alongside MUSC Children's Health (June 22, 2021).
• MUSC Children's HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in expanding child abuse prevention training programs alongside Coastal Pediatrics Associates (June 22, 2021).
• 1000 FeathersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStrategic planning consultants who guided the 2024 strategic plan refresh process, including staff, board, partner and donor conversations to refine vision, mission, and core values.
• Tri-County Human Trafficking Task ForcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-recipient of federal grants to combat human trafficking, alongside the Lincoln Tubman Foundation (January 2020).
• Child Abuse Center of Spartanburg, SCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing a PSB-CBT Program in South Carolina alongside Dee Norton's training, awareness and expansion efforts.
• The Care House (Florence, SC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing a PSB-CBT Program in South Carolina alongside Dee Norton's training and awareness efforts.
• Beyond Abuse (Greenwood, SC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplementing a PSB-CBT Program in South Carolina alongside Dee Norton's training and awareness efforts.
• Canine Companions for IndependenceminorOthersSource of Dee Norton's facility dog Braelynn (Golden Retriever/Labrador mix) who joined the Dee Norton staff in December 2020 as the second facility dog, providing comfort to children during forensic interviews and lobby visits.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Childhelp: National nonprofit providing child abuse intervention, treatment, and prevention services including the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline. Comparable as a multisite nonprofit serving child abuse victims and families.
• National Children's Alliance: National accrediting body and membership organization for Children's Advocacy Centers, including Dee Norton. Comparable as the sector's standards-setter and coordinating hub for the CAC model.
• Prevent Child Abuse America: National nonprofit focused on child abuse prevention, aligned with Dee Norton's 'prevent' pillar. Operates at a national scale with prevention education and advocacy that complements the CAC model.
• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): National nonprofit addressing missing and exploited children, including CSEC/human trafficking, the same domain Dee Norton's IMPACT program targets. Adjacent rather than directly competing on direct CAC services.
• Zero to Three: National organization behind the Safe Babies Court Team initiative, which Dee Norton is implementing in Charleston/Berkeley counties under SCIMHA. Direct programmatic peer in the infant/early-childhood court systems space.

Emerging players

• Darkness to Light: National nonprofit focused on child sexual abuse prevention education and adult training (Stewards of Children). Overlaps with Dee Norton's mandated-reporter and prevention education programs.

Direct peers

• Beyond Abuse (Greenwood, SC): South Carolina child advocacy center implementing PSB-CBT with support from Dee Norton. Comparable accredited CAC in a different SC region.
• Child Abuse Center of Spartanburg: Another accredited SC CAC implementing the PSB-CBT program in partnership with Dee Norton. Provides directly comparable multidisciplinary CAC services in a different SC region.
• The Care House (Florence, SC): South Carolina CAC implementing PSB-CBT with Dee Norton's training support. Directly comparable accredited CAC serving a different SC region.
• Children's Advocacy Centers of South Carolina (CAC-SC): Statewide chapter coordinating the network of accredited CACs in South Carolina. Dee Norton's partner referral site (cac-sc.org/dee-norton-rfs/) and sibling CACs share the same service model and accreditation standards.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/deenortoncenter

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center