Committed to protecting the kids in our community and helping those who have already been hurt
Our History
Helping Children for 25 Years and Counting
It all started with a question from then – District Attorney Bob Gallagher:
“How can we better serve child victims of sexual assault and other crimes in ways that the criminal justice system cannot?”
The answer? SungateKids
Since we opened our doors in 1993, SungateKids has made it our mission to help victims heal while living a life that’s free from abuse with plenty of hope. From day one, SungateKids has focused on developing and practicing expert forensic interviewing while giving children a safe place to use their voice.
Putting Children First from the Start
We believe that children who are victims of abuse and/or who are witnesses to violent crimes can and should be treated differently than adult victims. That’s why for the past 25 years we have focused on creating a system that is sensitive to the needs and developmental levels of children ages 2 ½–18.
To ensure the response is professional, trauma-informed, and victim-centered, SungateKids’ expert forensic interviewers work together with Law Enforcement, Child Protective Services and the District Attorney’s Office using a multidisciplinary team model.
SungateKids also provides:
- Victim and family advocacy services
- Referrals for medical evaluations
- On-site mental health services including therapeutic support groups and individual counseling
- Referrals for mental health services and a host of other resources
At every step, SungateKids is committed to providing these services with the highest level of quality, professionalism and sensitivity both to the needs of the children and to those of the agencies that utilize SungateKids as a resource. We are also proud to be an accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance and one of more than 850 child advocacy centers nationwide.
How We’ve Grown
Over the years, SungateKids has continued to evolve to meet the growing needs of the communities we serve. Having established ourselves as experts in the field of child abuse intervention, in 2014 we turned our focus to the issue of prevention.
Armed with the expertise of our staff and the insight we have gained from the many thousands of interviews we have conducted, we set out to create a prevention program that helps children, parents, youth-serving organizations, and community members stop abuse before it ever happens. That program, SungateKids SafeKids, now educates over 1,400 children and adults each year.
Meet the Team
Meet the Committed Team Members of SungateKids
Our talented staff of diverse experts have more than 100 years of training combined. Because of the sensitivity of our work, each of our employees has been carefully vetted and are all fueled by the same passion and determination to bring hope and healing to child victims and their non-offending family members.
Behind every great staff is an outstanding and hardworking Board of Directors — and that is certainly true for SungateKids. Our phenomenal board is comprised of members whose dedication to our community is surpassed only by their willingness to roll up their sleeves and work hard on behalf of the children and families we serve.
Partners and Accreditations
Dedicated to Working Together: Our Partners and Accreditations
SungateKids is a fully accredited member of the National Children’s Alliance and a member of the Colorado Children’s Alliance and is the only advocacy center for the 18th Judicial District. SungateKids has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with more than 40 agencies throughout this district, which establishes the protocol for investigating cases involving allegations of child abuse. Pursuant to this MOU, SungateKids works with Law Enforcement, Child Protective Services, the District Attorney’s Office, medical and mental health agencies and practitioners, among others, to investigate allegations of child abuse in a way that is professional, thorough, and not traumatizing for the child. SungateKids was re-accredited in 2017 and is subject to review for accreditation every five years by the National Children’s Alliance.
