In 1985 Bud Cramer, a District Attorney in Alabama organized an effort to create a better way to help young victims of sexual abuse. At the time, most social service agencies and law enforcement were not working together.  That caused added emotional stress, multiple child interviews, and frightening experiences for child victims.

The Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Model that was developed pulls together law enforcement, child protective services, medical and mental health workers into one multidisciplinary team that works for the best interests of the child.

The Buchanan County Sexual Assault Task Force began to develop the first Child Advocacy Center in Missouri to be housed in St. Joseph in 1992.  Members of this Task Force included the Buchanan County Prosecutor, the Noyes Home for Children, the Buchanan County Sheriff, the St. Joseph Police Chief, the St. Joseph School District, Probation & Parole, Mosaic (then Heartland) Hospital, the St. Joseph Safety Council, the Juvenile Office, the YWCA, Children’s Division, mental health professionals and others.

In January 1993, work began on the interview room in the basement of the Noyes Home.  The Carpenter’s Union, Electrical Union, Optimist and Rotary Clubs, and Payless Cashways donated good and labor to complete the space.  Soon after, in April of 1993, we began conducting our first forensic interviews for abused children in St. Joseph.

In 1995, then Representative Glenda Kelly obtained a $50,000 grant to expand our space at the Noyes Home and buy equipment.  The following year, we hired an Intake Coordinator and a part-time therapist.  At this time, we began to conduct interviews in counties outside of Buchanan, covering most of Northwest Missouri.

We became incorporated in 2000 and obtained our non-profit status in 2001, which is when we became the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center.

In 2006 we moved into a new location at 1807 North Woodbine Road.   We stayed there for 17 years.

In 2018, after another time of transition we changed our (“doing business as”) name to Voices of Courage in order to allow our name to be more reflective of the work we do – which is giving children a  voice, a chance to tell their about experience and to be heard, helped and believed.

We were granted some funds from the Missouri Children’s Trust Fund to purchase and renovate a building. We bought 702 Jules Street in December of 2022, and moved into the renovated facility in July of 2023 – our permanent home.

Since 1993, our CAC has served thousands of children and their families through our forensic interview and mental health services.