About Us
Who We Are
The Iowa Chapter of Children’s Advocacy Centers is a nonprofit organization accredited by the National Children’s Alliance and dedicated to providing support, training, and guidance to Iowa child advocacy centers. Formed in 2003 by a group of child abuse professionals, ICCAC uses the Children’s Advocacy Center model to address instances of child abuse in Iowa and to better serve child abuse victims and their families. ICCAC also provides support services to Iowa’s local child advocacy centers with the development, continuation and enhancement of the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) model in their local communities.
What We Do
ICCAC uses funding from federal and state grants, as well as from private donations to provide resources, support, and training to each of the six accredited child protection centers in Iowa. We support the unique needs of each advocacy center through sharing information and providing state-wide training, and ensuring the national best practice standards are being upheld. We work to educate state leadership on protecting children and on the needs of these child protection centers, creating a more comprehensive response to child abuse.
Our Mission
We support the development, growth, and best practice of child advocacy centers, working together to better serve child abuse victims and their families.
Our Vision
Every child in Iowa has access to a comprehensive and multidisciplinary response to allegations of child abuse.
Our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement
We have a strong sense of responsibility and accountability for diversity, equity, and inclusion in our Child Advocacy Centers’ work with children and families across the state of Iowa. This statement will serve as our guidepost for our active commitment to ensure equitable treatment and that inclusion is an expectation. We partner with and support those who work with children from diverse communities. We acknowledge that in order to be effective we must be intentional in our mission to provide culturally relevant services and actively engage those from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Striving toward culturally responsive services is an integral and ongoing part of our values.
Our People
Tamra Jurgemeyer
Executive Director, Iowa Chapter of Children's Advocacy Centers
Tamra Jurgemeyer is the Executive Director of Iowa Chapter of Children’s Advocacy Centers. Tamra brings over 25 years of experience working in a variety of non-profit community and clinical settings. Tamra has a background of both managerial and hands-on involvement in creating successful program promotion and communicating effectively with key decision makers. Tamra completed her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Iowa and is a Licensed Independent Social Worker. She has been particularly concerned with childhood loss and trauma and improving interventions to support resiliency for better mental, physical and emotional health outcomes. She is focused on providing quality training, technical assistance and support to the Child Advocacy Centers in Iowa, to better serve abused children and families in their local communities.
Board of Directors
- Jennifer Stimson
- Manager, Blank Children’s STAR & Development Center (President)
- Whitney Driscoll
- Staff Attorney, Disability Rights of Iowa (Vice President)
- Jennifer Mesecher Ogg
- Finance HR & Data Director, Young Women’s Resource Center (Treasurer)
- Katie Strub
- Senior Clinic Administrator, Allen Child Protection Center (Secretary)
- Julie Kelly-Molander
- Manager, St. Luke’s Child Protection Center
- Melisa Wagler
- Clinical Director, Child Protection Response Center
- Victoria Ricke
- Manager, Mercy One Child Advocacy Center
- Michael Terry
- Director of Programs, Every Child/Mississippi Valley Child Protection Center
- Nick Maybanks
- Linn County Attorney, Linn County Attorney's Office
- Bob Kressig
- State Representative House District 59, State of Iowa
- Nancy Wells
- Former ICCAC Executive Director, Retired
- Janice Lane Schroeder
- CEO, Children & Families of Iowa
- Renu Velisetty, M.D.
- Mercy One Des Moines Medical Center
- Jim Lester
- Chief of Police, City of Washington