Before the interview, caregivers can tell children they are going to talk to someone whose job it is to talk to kids. We encourage caregivers to  promote open and honest communication by reassuring children  that it’s perfectly fine to answer the interviewer’s questions. Saying things like, “It’s okay to tell the Interviewer the truth ,” can go a long way.

During the interview, the specially trained Forensic Interviewer asks non-leading, open-ended questions which help children to provide a narrative of their experience in their own words. In the waiting room, a Victim Services Program advocate will speak with caregivers while the child is participating in the interview. Victim Advocates guide caregivers and children through the investigation process while providing support, referrals, and various other services.

Each interview lasts for as long as it needs to. Each child and their experience is different and each case is handled with this in mind, so it is hard to say how long an interview may last.