MARSHFIELD, Wis. – While child abuse rates in Wisconsin and Michigan have dropped in recent years, according to state reports, Marshfield Clinic’s Child Advocacy Center is committed to a future where that number is zero.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The governors of Wisconsin and Michigan issued proclamations that highlight the importance of positive childhood experiences and enhanced parental knowledge on child development, both of which are linked to better health outcomes and safety.
The Marshfield Child Advocacy Center is the only medical and forensic child advocacy center model in central and northern Wisconsin, and partners with other advocacy centers in the Upper Peninsula. Marshfield Child Advocacy Center sees children who have experienced many kinds of abuse and neglect including sexual abuse, physical abuse, drug endangerment, teen dating victimization, neglect, child sexual abuse material and witness to violence.
“The ideal model of a child advocacy center is to provide trauma informed care to children who have been through unthinkable things,” said Dr. Margaret Link, Marshfield Child Advocacy Center physician. “Our center can provide a ‘one-stop shop’ for children as this enables them to come to the center to have a forensic interview and medical exam in the same day as well as provide them with valuable community resources.”
The team serves all Marshfield Clinic locations in Wisconsin and Michigan with dedicated teams based in Marshfield, Wausau/Weston and Iron Mountain. In 2025, Marshfield Child Advocacy Center served 31 different law enforcement agencies and 15 different county child protective agencies.
Marshfield Child Advocacy Center offers key personnel in helping children and their families navigate through abuse:
- Forensic interviewers – They specialize in conducting child-focused, trauma-informed conversations, gathering factual information regarding allegations of child abuse and neglect, or witness to a violent crime. Their interviews allow children to tell their story once and not have to be re-exposed to the trauma they have endured by telling their story to multiple people involved in the investigations.
- Physician – Sees pediatric patients in the Child Advocacy Center as well as inpatients consults for children admitted to Marshfield Children’s Hospital with abuse or neglect concerns. A thorough medical exam and evaluation serves as an objective medical view on the case and provides insight into the potential long term effects or harm that can occur with children that endure these traumatic experiences.
- Patient advocate – The advocate’s role is to connect with families and ensure they have all the of resources they need. They have specialized training in Trauma Based Relational Intervention which is an attachment-based and trauma-informed intervention designed to help children who have experienced significant trauma overcome complex emotional and behavioral challenges.
“Our work for the past 25 years addresses a critical health care issue ensuring coordinated, trauma informed care for vulnerable children and families,” Link said. “This care and the team members who work within the child advocacy center continues to have a lasting impact on children and families who are affected by child abuse and more.”
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
