A major leap forward for child safety in Eastern North Carolina as two critical programs officially move under one roof.
ECU Health’s TEDI BEAR Children’s Advocacy Center and the Center for Child and Family Wellness have combined operations to create a unified resource for families. The co-location means children who have experienced abuse no longer have to navigate a fragmented system of police, hospitals, and social services.
TEDI BEAR Director Noemi Rivera says the goal is to allow children to tell their stories just once in a safe, trauma-informed environment. While TEDI BEAR handles intervention and forensic interviews, the Center for Child and Family Wellness focuses on prevention—addressing everything from safe sleep to suicide prevention.
Together, the teams serve children across thirty-one counties, working alongside law enforcement to turn moments of crisis into a path toward healing.
