How We Work

Children’s Advocacy Center of Charlotte, in partnership with CMS and all 7 law enforcement entities in the county, brought Handle With Care to Mecklenburg County in 2023. Unrolled over several phases, the program is now in Charlotte, and the 6 surrounding towns, and all 186 Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools. When law enforcement officers respond to a call where a child is present and they determine the child may have experienced trauma that could impact them in the days, weeks, and months ahead, they can make a secure report through the Handle With Care portal. Incidents leading to a report could include a car accident or housefire, witnessing a loved one have a medical incident, witnessing community violence, or experiencing abuse.

The report, which is just the child’s name, age and school, is routed to a small, specially trained response team at the child’s school. This team knows not to ask the child about the event but instead, to monitor the child for any behavioral changes that might indicate the need for extra support. It allows the school to see the child through a trauma-informed lens so that if they show up without their homework, or are falling asleep in class, the school can respond guided by the understanding that the child experienced something outside of school that is causing these behaviors. School personnel are tracking grades, behavior, and attendance across the year because we know that trauma symptoms can take time to develop. When a child exhibits signs that they would benefit from mental health support, the school is able to make a referral, often in collaboration with our CHAT Collaborative.

Law Enforcement Officers report that they appreciate this system because it ensures that children are not falling through the cracks. They report that prior to Handle With Care, they left the scene often wondering what would happen to a child witness and now they feel secure knowing that there will be others following up with the child.