Carousel Child Advocacy Center

What Carousel Child Advocacy Center does

Carousel Child Advocacy Center (legally The Carousel Center, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in January 2000 and headquartered at 1501 Dock Street in Wilmington, North Carolina, with three additional service locations in Supply (Brunswick County), Burgaw (Pender County, opened 2024), and a Community Justice Center site in Wilmington. The organization is the only nationally accredited Child Advocacy Center in southeastern North Carolina, delivering a multidisciplinary service model that integrates forensic interviewing (RADAR protocol), NC-rostered child medical evaluations provided by nurse practitioners with AFN-BC credentials, evidence-based trauma therapy (TF-CBT, PCIT, CPP, CFTSI, PSB-CBT), family advocacy, and court accompaniment for child survivors of sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, or witnessed violent crime in Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender Counties. All services are provided at no cost to families, with approximately 400–500 children served annually across 23 specialized staff positions. Funding is sourced from a diversified mix — 29% state/federal/VOCA grants, 27% local/foundation grants, 17% fundraising events and business sponsorships, 16% program income and insurance/Medicaid reimbursement, and 11% individual donations including a recurring G.E.M. monthly giving program — against an operating floor stated at $2 million annually. Beyond direct services, the organization leads the Tri-County Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Initiative launched in April 2022, a community-wide adult training program targeting 35,000 adults (10% of the regional adult population) by 2028, with 6,320 adults trained through November 2024, and operates a Partners in Prevention designation program engaging 81+ community organizations in child protection policies, supported by a five-year longitudinal research partnership with the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Name

Carousel Child Advocacy Center

Legal name

The Carousel Center, Inc.

Website

https://carouselcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carousel Child Advocacy Center is a nonprofit, NCA-accredited child advocacy center serving child abuse survivors and families in three southeastern North Carolina counties with forensic interviews, medical evaluations, trauma therapy, and prevention education at no cost to families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child Advocacy and Welfare Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAE

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPADAGAG

Child Rights & Protection

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

Keywords

• Child advocacy services
• Forensic interview services
• Trauma therapy programs
• Child abuse prevention
• Family advocacy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and VOCA Funding: 29% of funding from State/Federal/VOCA funds for operational capacity
2. Foundation and Local Grants: 27% from local grants and foundations including Cape Fear Memorial Foundation, Duke Endowment, Kate B. Reynolds Foundation, and others
3. Fundraising Events and Sponsorships: 17% from fundraising events including Everyday Heroes Fundraising Luncheon and Lighthouse Beer & Wine Festival, plus business sponsorships
4. Individual Donations: 11% from individual donor contributions and monthly G.E.M. (Give Every Month) program
5. Program Income and Insurance Reimbursement: 16% from insurance and Medicaid reimbursement for services provided

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Carousel Child Advocacy Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers coordinated child medical evaluations, forensic interviews, trauma-focused therapy, family advocacy, and prevention education to child survivors of physical and sexual abuse in Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender Counties in North Carolina. Services are provided at no cost to families through a multidisciplinary team model integrating law enforcement, social services, healthcare, and mental health, supported by grants, donations, and insurance reimbursement.

Product overview

Carousel Child Advocacy Center is a nonprofit service organization offering a unified portfolio of child advocacy services rather than a software product. The core offerings include: Child Medical Evaluation & Forensic Interview services (combining medical exams with RADAR protocol forensic interviews in a child-friendly setting), Trauma Therapy Services (evidence-based therapies including TF-CBT, CPP, and PSB-CBT), Family Advocacy Services, and Prevention Education & Training (Stewards of Children program). These services are delivered through community programs including the Partners in Prevention Program and the Tri-County Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Initiative. All services are provided at no cost to families and serve child survivors of physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and those who have witnessed violent crimes in Brunswick, New Hanover, and Pender Counties, North Carolina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Medical Evaluation and Forensic Interview

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 400-500 children annually at four locations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Children's AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccrediting body for Children's Advocacy Centers. Carousel Center achieved and maintains accreditation by meeting NCA's Standards for Accredited Members and undergoing site reviews every five years.
• Child Advocacy Center of North CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited state chapter of National Children's Alliance providing support and advocacy for CACs in North Carolina.
• Darkness to LightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization providing Stewards of Children curriculum and Partner in Prevention designation program. Carousel serves as local facilitator for Tri-County CSAP Initiative.
• University of North Carolina Wilmington - School of NursingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived 536 donated workbooks from Tedi Bear CAC for nursing student sessions. Nursing students receive training and exposure to child advocacy services.
• University of North Carolina Wilmington - School of Health & Applied Human SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched 5-year longitudinal research study in January 2024 to evaluate societal impacts of prevention initiative. Conducts pre/post tests and follow-up surveys at 6, 12, and 18 months.
• University of North Carolina Wilmington - School of Social WorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial work students receive training and internship opportunities at Carousel Center.
• Coastal Horizons CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Parenting After Trauma 12-week support group in partnership with Carousel. Also offers Child First Program, Family Centered Treatment, and Intensive Family Preservation services.
• University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine - Child Medical Evaluation ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical staff at Carousel are rostered through UNC CME program, providing specialized training and credentials for child medical evaluations.
• Kids Making ItminorOthersCreates wooden appreciation plaques presented to organizations achieving Partner in Prevention status.
• Nothing Bundt Cakes WilmingtonminorOthersDonates cakes for child graduation ceremonies from trauma therapy program.
• County Departments of Social ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultidisciplinary team partners including New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender County DSS for child abuse investigation and referral.
• Law Enforcement AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of multidisciplinary team for child abuse investigation including local police, sheriff's offices, and district attorney's office.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Childhelp: National nonprofit operating the 1-800-4-A-CHILD hotline referenced by Carousel, plus advocacy and residential treatment programs. Adjacent peer in the broader child abuse response ecosystem with overlapping donor audiences.
• Prevent Child Abuse America: National umbrella organization promoting child welfare through prevention advocacy, research, and the Healthy Families America home-visiting model. Operates in adjacent child welfare space and drives much of the federal policy environment for Carousel's grant funding.
• Darkness to Light: National nonprofit that provides the Stewards of Children prevention curriculum and the Partner in Prevention designation program that Carousel delivers locally. Operates upstream of Carousel in the prevention-training ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• National Children's Alliance: National accrediting body and membership organization for Child Advocacy Centers. Operates the 10-core-standards accreditation framework Carousel maintains; provides training, technical assistance, and federal advocacy across the broader CAC movement.
• National Children's Advocacy Center (Huntsville): The original Child Advocacy Center, founded in 1985 in Huntsville, AL. Operates direct service programs alongside a national training and research institute, making it both a direct service peer and a broader movement leader.

Direct peers

• Child Advocacy Centers of North Carolina: State chapter of National Children's Alliance that supports, trains, and advocates for accredited CACs across North Carolina. Provides the state-level infrastructure that complements Carousel's direct service delivery in southeastern NC.
• Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center: NCA-accredited CAC in Charleston, SC providing forensic interviews, medical evaluations, trauma therapy, and prevention education in the Lowcountry. Closely comparable model serving a similar coastal Southeastern geography.
• Tedi Bear Children's Advocacy Center: Another NCA-accredited Child Advocacy Center in North Carolina (Greensboro/Piedmont region). Provides the same multidisciplinary forensic interview, medical evaluation, therapy, and family advocacy model, serving as a direct operational peer in the same state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thecarouselcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thecarouselcenter

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 Carousel Child Advocacy Center