This facilitated interagency cooperation by providing a focal point on the team from the D.A.'s office but also reduced the necessity for the child to be repeatedly and repetitiously interviewed by several prosecutors as the case developed. Staff offices are placed largely out of view. The reception area is located outside the waiting area so as not to give the impression of a bureaucratic watchful eye on the child. The child's trust is won before the actual interview process starts. Anatomically correct dolls are routinely used.
Attention is paid to furnishings and decor.
There is also room in the center for team conferences, the assistant district attorney, a therapist, a law enforcement team member, and a computer room for the compilation and analysis of data. The center is the focus of the abuse response. Rather than visiting police departments, protective services offices, hospital emergency rooms, mental health treatment facilities, and the prosecutor's office, the children visit only the center. The abuse victims suffer less trauma, the community benefits, and abusers are dealt with more effectively. Some are diverted for treatment and when prosecution is pursued, it is more likely that, because of increased coordination, it will be successful.