Child Abuse Prevention Month

Children are not responsible for protecting themselves from abuse. As adults, this is OUR responsibility. In honor of Child Abuse Prevention Month, Child Advocacy is emphasizing the many ways we all play roles as individuals, families, and groups in keeping children safe. Please take a few moments to read over the bullet points below and visit the corresponding resources to learn ways you can begin or enhance your child protection skills. Child Advocacy offers several trainings, resources, and tools to help you feel confident in preventing child abuse. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. 

We also invite you to attend our April 6^th Child Abuse Prevention Month Lunch and Learn. This event will discuss the significance of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the meaning behind the blue pinwheel, and ways to get involved. A full agency tour and overview of Child Advocacy programming will be provided, so this is a great event for those who are unfamiliar with all we do. Did we mention free lunch?! Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/child-advocacy-42491159523

A full calendar of events for Child Abuse Prevention Month can be found at the end of this newsletter.

Parents & Caregivers

• When signing up your child for an after-school activity, camp, daycare, or other setting where other adults will be responsible for keeping your children safe, know that you have every right to request a copy of the organization’s Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct will tell you how staff and volunteers are screened and trained, policies related to preventing isolation, and strategies in place to protect children from abuse.
• What Parents Need to Know

• Use anatomically-correct names for body parts! Using cutesy or funny names for genitals sends a message that talking about body parts is taboo, awkward, or bad. We want all children to feel comfortable talking to adults when they are hurt, when they have questions, or if someone is touching them in an uncomfortable way. Anatomically-correct names for body parts reduces confusion, creates shared language that we all understand, and empowers children to be the boss of their body.
• Rock the Talk

Youth-Serving Organizations

• Know your organization’s Code of Conduct and mandated reporting policies. A good Code of Conduct outlines rules related to taking children to the restroom, acceptable and unacceptable forms of physical touch, policies for making reports of child abuse concerns, and more. If your organization needs help in updating or creating a Code of Conduct, give us a call.
•  Getting Started on Policies and Procedures

• Provide ongoing child abuse prevention training for your staff and volunteers. Regular review of prevention strategies helps staff to feel confident in recognizing and responding responsibly to child abuse, and sends the message that your organization is committed to protecting children. Child Advocacy offers two helpful trainings: Stewards of Children and Mandated Reporter. Both of these training are scheduled this April, are offered regularly, and can be scheduled just for your group! 
•  Mandated Reporters

All Adults

• Understand the facts of child abuse. 90% of children who are sexually abused are abused by someone they know and trust – not the stranger in the parking lot! These are family members, family friends, babysitters, coaches, and even other children. While hard to understand and accept, we know that this information can be used to better protect children. By implementing body safety rules (at home, at relative’s homes, in public, in youth-serving settings), screening and training staff and volunteers, having open conversations about bodies and boundaries, recognizing red-flag behavior, and reporting concerns, we can drastically reduce child abuse. Our Stewards of Children training is a great starting point for any adult interested in learning more.
•  Child Sexual Abuse Statistics
• The Stages of Grooming 

Morgan Rooy

CAN Program Director