Our Mission:

To provide intervention and advocacy for children who are victims of, or witnesses to, crime.

The Kids' FIRST Center opened its doors in September of 1994 as a private, nonprofit organization with a board of directors under the direct supervision of the Lane County District Attorney’s Office. The purpose of a child abuse intervention center like Kids’ FIRST is to provide a central location for a multidisciplinary team (MDT) approach to child abuse investigations, which eliminates the need for a child to be repeatedly interviewed about abuse by each individual agency. We offer a warm, non-threatening environment where specially trained interviewers talk to children. The interviews are video-recorded to document the children’s statements, which can be used as evidence about their experiences. The Center also houses forensic medical assessments, grand juries and Lane County MDT case review. Read More...

Among many other responsibilities and roles, our volunteers:

Advocate for child victims and their non-offending family members, providing them with referrals to community agencies to meet their legal, financial, physical and mental health needs

Inform and educate families about the criminal justice process

Provide case management

Keep families updated on the status of their cases

Provide childcare for parents and guardians attending the Center's education and support group

Perform data entry and statistical analysis

Offer office and clerical support