From staff reports

North Star Child Advocacy Center performed 14 more forensic interviews in the first half of 2025 than in the same period of 2024.

North Star officially serves Wood, Wirt, Ritchie, Pleasants and Calhoun counties, doing courtesy interviews for numerous other counties in West Virginia and Ohio.

“Keeping in mind we only do interviews for law enforcement or Child Protective Services, the number of interviews coming through our doors is determined by the number of investigations that are initiated by law enforcement or the number of referrals that CPS accepts as investigations,” North Star Executive Director Gregory Collins said. “Although there has been a slight increase in the number of interviews, we are still seeing less than 2023 and years prior.

“We are definitely doing a good job in the prosecutors arena getting more cases plead or put in front of a jury. The installation of two new prosecutors in Pleasants and Wirt have proven to be a big win for these cases and the children of these counties,” he said.

There has been an increase in forensic interviews in Calhoun County, Collins added.

“I think the rise and fall in child abuse numbers is hard to assess. Is it because child abuse has truly declined? Is it because manpower has been an issue for the past few years for both law enforcement and CPS? Is it because the mental health of anyone investigating these cases takes a beating? At the end of the day, who really knows?” Collins said. “When you’re in this work, you hope the numbers decline because there are fewer child abuse incidents and you are doing a good job on all fronts to make this happen, but the truth is there is likely no decrease in the cases and it comes down to the boots on the ground fighting this epidemic.”

A detailed look at the number of forensic interviews from January to June in Wood County shows:

2023

∫ 305 forensic interviews

∫ 16 medical exams

∫ 62 therapy referrals

2024

∫ 267 forensic interviews

∫ 14 medical exams

∫ 60 therapy referrals

2025

∫ 281 forensic interviews

∫ 15 medical exams

∫ 47 therapy referrals

“In the next couple of months, we could get record-breaking numbers, we never know,” Collins said. “North Star will be prepared for whatever comes our way, doing our best to help our teams with their interviews, then attempt to heal each child that comes through our door so they can be a productive member of society.

“We have great empathy for the investigators in law enforcement and CPS. This is a really tough job that takes a heavy toll on you personally. There are a lot of great people on the ground fighting this evil. They deserve praise and grace from everyone,” he said.

The National Children’s Alliance is the accrediting body for more than 1,000 child advocacy centers, with chapters in all 50 states. North Star sees the most children among the 21 centers in West Virginia.

According to NCA, an estimated 1,820 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States in 2021, the most recent year for which there is national data. In 2022, child advocacy centers in the United States served 380,494 child victims of abuse, providing forensic interviews, evidence-based mental health treatments proven to reduce symptoms, case management, victim advocacy services and more. Child advocacy centers also provided more than 2.8 million people with abuse prevention education.

North Star is teaching Safe Body Touch in Wood, Ritchie and Calhoun County schools. Since 2022, 65 children disclosed abuse during the sessions, and another 36 children were noted to be of additional concern and further monitored closely by teachers.

North Star may be contacted at 304-917-4437 or via email nscac@northstarcac.org to learn more about how to help or to request a tour of the facility. More information can be found on the website at northstarcac.org.