About
Our History
We opened our doors on October 11, 1998, in the "Little Yellow House" in Antelope Park with one goal: to make sure no child had to face trauma alone. That first year, we served just 36 children — and as our partnership with Law Enforcement and DHHS grew, more families were referred to us to ensure they had a safe place to share their truths.
By 2007, we had outgrown our space and were searching for a home that could meet the growing need. Thanks to a generous $1 million gift from Dan and Cara Whitney, we broke ground on a new building and moved into our current location in University Place in 2011. A year later, state legislation strengthened the role of Child Advocacy Centers in Nebraska, ensuring children ages 3–18 would receive the trauma-informed support they deserve.
As our service numbers grew, we expanded again, opening satellite offices in York and Nebraska City (now in Beatrice) in 2014 to better serve rural communities. In the years that followed, we continued building programs that respond to the realities children face, including our community training program in 2015 and our anti-trafficking program in 2018.
By 2020, we were conducting more than 1,000 forensic interviews each year. To meet this need, we began a major expansion project, Room to Heal, which was completed in 2023. Room to Heal added new family spaces, expanded mental health services, and brought key partners like law enforcement under the same roof. In 2022, we introduced our new name, BraveBe Child Advocacy Center, to better reflect the courage of the children who walk through our doors.
In November 2024, we took the next step in our mission by launching Brave fACEs, a community-wide ACEs awareness and prevention initiative. Brave fACEs represents a shift from responding to trauma to preventing it, helping Lincoln become a more resilient, trauma-informed community through public education, data collection, training, and strong partnerships.
Today, we serve thousands of children and families each year, and we’re still growing. From a single-room office to a regional center for hope and healing, our story has always been shaped by the bravery of the children we serve and the belief that every child deserves to feel safe, supported, and heard.
