Forensic Interviews

In FY 2025, We Provided 413 Forensic Interviews to Clients

A forensic interview is a video recorded interview conducted to gather information from a child regarding an allegation of abuse in a non-leading, semi-structured manner.

Forensic interviews are conducted in a child-friendly environment by a trained & neutral forensic interviewer.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, a parent or caregiver cannot directly schedule a forensic interview for their child. All interviews are a part of an official investigative process and are scheduled with the Center through law enforcement or a DFPS investigator. If you suspect your child is being abused, please call the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-8000-252-5400 or make a report online at (http://www.txabusehotline.org.  ).

Let your child know they are going to a safe place to talk about what happened. The most important thing they should know is to tell the truth.

The day of a forensic interview, families are greeted by a family advocate. A family advocate will then meet with caregiver to complete intake paperwork as well as provide information on what to expect that day. Children then meet with a forensic interviewer one on one. Before leaving, investigators meet with caregivers, so they know what to expect following a child’s forensic interview.

No, only the child and the forensic interviewer can be present in the interview room.

A protective parent or caregiver can bring a child who is scheduled for a forensic interview. Any suspected offenders or prior offenders of child abuse and/or adult abuse cannot be on Roxanne’s House or the Hays Caldwell Women’s Center premises.

Appointment duration times may vary as each child’s experience is unique. We recommend preparing yourself and appropriate family members to be at our center for at least two hours or longer, especially if there are multiple children being interviewed.

Roxanne’s House is the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Hays Caldwell Women’s Center (HCWC) and is an umbrella agency. The Hays Caldwell Women’s Center provides an array of services to adult, adolescent, and child victims of abuse. Roxanne’s House serves child victims of abuse in collaboration with multidisciplinary partners in accordance with the MDT model.