Cares Northwest

CARES Northwest is a collaborative, community-based medical program for the assessment, treatment and prevention of child abuse. We provide a safe, child-friendly environment for the assessment of children for whom there are concerns of physical or sexual abuse, neglect and exposure to domestic violence. Founded in 1987, the program is a collaborative effort among four of the region’s leading health systems — Kaiser Permanente, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, Providence Children’s Health, and Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel. CARES Northwest was the first program in Oregon to pair physicians and nurse practitioners with child interviewers in a medical setting to provide child abuse evaluations. Coordinating experts in medicine, mental health, child protective services and law enforcement agencies, CARES Northwest ensures that children obtain needed professional services in one child-friendly location. This approach to intervention increases effectiveness, which minimizes trauma to the child, helps prevent future abuse and sets them on the road to healing. CARES Northwest is one of the oldest and largest child abuse assessment centers in the nation, serving more than 7,000 children annually. Approximately 1,500 children are seen at the program each year. We are the only program serving Multnomah and Washington Counties; we also serve children throughout Oregon and Clark County, Washington.