This September, we’re honored to celebrate a remarkable milestone for someone who has contributed so much to the Center’s mission — Cyndi Cantu, our Chief Team Relations and Forensic Officer. For 30 years, Cyndi has exemplified leadership, compassion, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to the children in our community.
Since the early days of forensic interviewing, Cyndi has been at the forefront of the field — guiding its growth and helping define what best practices look like today. Her journey has shaped not just our organization, but the field of forensic interviewing as a whole.
Blazing the Trail
Cyndi began her journey in child advocacy as a Child Protection Investigator with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), where she spent three years investigating cases of child abuse and neglect.
In 1995, Cyndi joined the Center for Child Protection as our first forensic interviewer. At the time, official standards for conducting interviews didn’t exist — so Cyndi helped write the book on it. Literally.
Cyndi was a member of the original design teams that developed the Forensic Interview Training (1999) and Multi-Session Forensic Interview Training (2012) models, which became the foundation for forensic interview protocols in Texas. As one of the original CACTX Faculty Trainers, she was also instrumental in training interviewers and implementing these standards at Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) across the state.
Serving with Purpose
A forensic interview is a one-on-one conversation with a child, conducted to gather details of possible abuse in support of child abuse investigations. Forensic interviews are the primary service provided by CACs, working in close coordination with the local and state agencies involved in these investigations.
In Travis County, this multidisciplinary team is known as the Child Protection Team (CPT), which includes the Department of Family and Protective Services, Dell Children’s Medical Center, the District Attorney’s Office, the Center for Child Protection, and more than 20 local law enforcement jurisdictions.
Cyndi has dedicated her career to protecting children and ensuring that our CPT operates as effectively and collaboratively as possible. Her work has strengthened communication between CPT agencies, introduced trauma-informed protocols to mitigate re-victimization during forensic interviews, minimized the number of interviews children must undergo, and helped ensure that information is gathered in a non-leading, legally sound manner — giving every child the best chance at justice.
“I love that I get to make a difference — not just in the lives of the children and families we serve, but also in the lives of our agency partners by supporting them in the important work they do every day.”
Cyndi Cantu
Her heart stands with the children she serves and the team members she serves beside, but her contributions extend well beyond Travis County. Cyndi has shared her expertise with teams across the state and country, helping elevate standards and improve outcomes for children everywhere.
Making a National & Local Impact
Recognized nationally as a leading expert in her field, Cyndi has contributed to the development of both statewide and national protocols, and she is regularly invited to present at conferences across the country to share her expertise on various topics related to child abuse investigations. Her topics cover everything from training new forensic interviewers and working within a multidisciplinary team to accommodating physical, mental, or cultural needs during interviews.
Cyndi is fluent in both English and Spanish and holds a degree in sociology with a minor in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. A member of the Association of Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children (APSAC) since 2003, she has attended fourteen colloquia (presenting at seven and volunteering at five), and just this year, she was accepted into the APSAC Fellow Program. She is also a current Associate of the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC), where she lends her expertise in child abuse for professional level trainings and instruction.
In addition to the creation of forensic interview training protocols for CACTX, Cyndi has also been invited to assist in the development of curriculum for organizations like SafePlace, the Texas Municipal Police Association, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Over the past 30 years, Cyndi has conducted more than 2,500 forensic interviews and led more than 100 professional presentations. She has also been honored with multiple awards recognizing her professional excellence, leadership, and impact in the field.
Leading the Next Generation
Today, as the Center’s Chief Team Relations and Forensic Officer, Cyndi oversees our forensic interview and CPT coordination programs.
When she’s not presenting, training, or conducting an interview herself, Cyndi uses her passion and experience to mentor the Center’s next generation of forensic interviewers. She’s also in constant communication with our CPT partners, working to better understand how we can support them in our shared goal of reducing trauma and securing justice for children.
In recent years, Cyndi has taken the lead in developing programs that support the mental and emotional well-being of all CPT members. Through check-ins, peer support, team connection activities, and trainings on vicarious trauma, she’s made sure that those caring for our community’s children are also cared for themselves.
Cyndi has refined the field of forensic interviewing across Texas: setting standards, leading innovation, and building a legacy that extends across the borders of our state. We’re proud to have a leader like Cyndi on our team, whose impact is national but whose dedication begins right here at home.
Thank you, Cyndi, for all you’ve done — and continue to do — to serve the children in our community and beyond.
