WORDS MATTER #3   "What Does 'Advocacy' Really Mean?"                             April 17, 2026
By Maggi Hutchason, Forensic Interview Specialist/Community Educator

​Words matter. Sometimes the meaning of a word becomes clearer when we look at where it came from. The word advocacy is one of those words. Although we're called a Child Advocacy Center, our name doesn't fully explain our mission. To understand our purpose, we have to start with the meaning of the word itself.
The word itself comes from the Latin advocare, which means “to call to one’s aid.”
It describes someone who stands beside another person to help them be heard.
That simple idea is at the heart of what happens every day at Dearing House.
When a child has experienced abuse, the adults around them begin asking questions. Law enforcement needs information. Child protection workers need information. Medical and mental health professionals need information.
In the middle of all of that…there is a child.
Sometimes that child is frightened…or confused…or worry that they will not be believed.
Advocacy means making sure that child is not alone in that moment.
At Dearing House, we create a safe environment where children can share their experiences in a way that is respectful, developmentally appropriate, and designed to reduce additional trauma.
Advocacy means making sure the child’s voice, safety, and well-being remain central throughout the process.  At Dearing House, that work has been happening for more than two decades. And with the expansion of Dottie’s Place, we are strengthening our ability to walk alongside children and families as they move from crisis toward healing.
I often break it down this way: 

• Child: our focus is on children under the age of 18
• Advocacy: to ensure every child has a voice and is heard
• Center: our facility is the hub for collaboration and coordination with community partners and families to avoid duplication of effort and trauma

Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply this:
 Stand beside a child and make sure their voice is heard.
 
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