Category: Child Abuse Prevention

Usted podría ser la única esperanza
By Claudia Cervantes, Bilingual Program Coordinator for the Protect Our Children Project

Usted podría ser la única esperanza en la vida de un niño.

Por cada 10 niños hay uno que es abusado antes de cumplir los 18 años, y usted podría ser su única esperanza si toma el tiempo para leer este artículo. Hay muchos niños que callan el abuso por miedo, por vergüenza o porque no entienden que es lo que está pasando. Pero eso puede cambiar si los adultos que rodeamos a los niños estamos entrenados para protegerlos. En el artículo anterior hable de los dos primeros pasos a tomar en la prevención del abuso sexual infantil, en este artículo comparto los últimos tres pasos:

PASO 3: Hable abiertamente:

Tenga una conversación abierta con sus hijos sobre sus cuerpos, su sexualidad y los límites.
- El ofensor, normalmente trata de confundir a su víctima, el niño, sobre lo que es correcto e incorrecto. Lo hace sentir avergonzado, culpable o le dice que sus padres se van a enojar. Además, Algunos niños son demasiado pequeños para entender.
Hablar con nuestros hijos sobre su sexualidad y nombrar las partes de su cuerpo por su nombre, enseñarles que su cuerpo es privado y nadie debe de tocarlo de una forma que se sienta incómoda, es todo ello información poderosa para protegerlos y prepararlos para hablar en caso de que algo les pase..

PASO 4: Reconozca los síntomas:

Conozca las señales que podrían presentarse en niños abusados.
- Moretones, sangrados, erupciones, enrojecimientos en la piel, golpes o costras especialmente en los genitales.
- Infecciones urinarias.
- Enfermedades de transmisión sexual.
- Defecación anormal.
- Dolor de estómago crónico, dolores de cabeza o otras dolencias que no tienen explicación médica.
PASO 5: Actúe responsablemente:

Comprenda cómo responder a los comportamientos riesgosos y sospechas o reporte el abuso.
- Hay 3 razones por las que es necesario reaccionar al abuso sexual:
- Un niño nos lo confiesa.
- Lo descubrimos por nosotros mismos.
- Tenemos razones para sospechar.
No dude en llamar a los servicios locales de salud, si sospecha de abuso. Recuerde que usted puede salvar a un niño.

Todos los informes de abuso deben hacerse al DHS o a la policía. NO NOS LLAME PARA INFORMAR SOBRE EL ABUSO DE NIÑOS.

Departamento de Servicios Humanos (DHS)

Medford DHS:

727 Medford Center

Medford, OR 97504-6772

(541) 858-3197

(866) 840-2741

Para preguntas y respuestas sobre denuncias de abuso y negligencia:https://www.oregon.gov/…/CHILDREN/CHILD-ABUSE/Pages/CPS.aspx

Para un entrenamiento Gratuito, visite: https://cacjc.org/entrenamientos/

Claudia Cervantes
My Spin: Oregon’s Top Rank Registered Sex Offenders

By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

School has started back. At my house we are shifting back to “normal” schedule. You know—the regular routine. 6:30 wake up. 7:12 out the door for school and work. 6:00 get home. 6:15 start our reading homework. 6:45 do the rest of our homework. 7:15 piano practice. 7:45 shower. 8:30 bedtime. Oops. I forgot dinner. We do eat in there somewhere, but the schedule is tight. We try to find some balance. We try to concentrate our family time on the weekend and build as many memories as possible. It is easy to go on auto pilot. To forget to have actual conversations. To forget to check in with each other. The frenzy of the holidays is right around the corner. It will get more hectic.

This week, we have read about Oregon being number one in the country in the number of registered sex offenders. There has been lots of chatter about what this means and why this is. I don’t know why. Do we make more people register than others? Are we more proactive at looking for sex offenders? There are many spins that you could put on this.

Here is my spin. This is a good reminder to make time to talk to your children about their bodies and how to keep them safe. This is a good reminder to stay involved and present in your child’s life regardless of their age.

The truth is there are a lot of sex offenders EVERYWHERE. I don’t say that to make you paranoid. I say that to make you aware.

I started having these body conversations with my own child when he was 2 years old. He learned the correct term for his “boy” parts. I never have to guess if he is talking about his penis, his tummy, his bottom or his toe. While the cutesy names make it easier for the adults to say, it definitely makes it harder for anyone else to know what exactly your child is talking about. In an interview to figure out if he or she has been abused, this small thing is crucial.

I read a book to my child every once in a while about body safety and telling. He loved that book. It was named “Gorp’s Secret”. It was a very child friendly way to open up the conversation. Better yet, my child learned early who was allowed to touch what body parts under what circumstances. It was a book that was in the story time rotation. Just like all his other books. Sat on the shelf just like his other books waiting for his little fingers to pick it out for his dad or me to read to him. Normal.

My child’s pediatrician has the same talk with him during his annual check-up. It does not weird him out. It is a conversation that is part of their normal interactions during his exam. Just like checking in about bike helmets, seat belts, and what kinds of veggies he is eating.

Contrary to what many people might think because of my career, I do not talk to my son about these things very frequently. When an opportunity presents itself I don’t shy away from it but I don’t bring it up. I don’t have to. We have been having these “little talks” since he was a baby. He knows.

The older your child gets, the more uncomfortable it is to start these conversations, but if they have been a part of your interactions all along they are a little easier. It is a way of propping the door open, if you will. Paving the way for your child to come to you if they ever need to.

Still not sure what to be vigilant about or worried you won’t recognize when your child may need you but unable to tell you exactly they need you?

Please sign up to take our free Stewards of Children training under the CAC Protect Our Children program. We hold them frequently. Go to our website and sign up. This class will teach you how to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse using five simple steps. It is free. It takes less than 3 hours.

It will give you tools to reduce the risk of sexual abuse to the children in your life. Isn’t that worth your time?

#BackToSchoolCAC
The 872 abused children in Jackson County are “Our People”

By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

I am sitting in my office this morning blasting music before everyone gets here. This is not unusual. I tend to get here before staff and before things get too hectic to plan out my day and to get as much done prior to the busyness of the day starts.

It is during these precious minutes in the sort of quiet of my morning that I am able to focus on the mission of the CAC.

I am able to hear the silence of the abused children in our community.

The month of April is always a poignant reflection on the work that we do because it is “our” month (Child Abuse Prevention/Awareness and Sexual Assault Awareness Month). In 2016 there were 872 abused children in our community, according to the latest version of the Child Welfare Data Book. I find that number astounding.

But what bothers me even more are the children that remain silent. It actually scares me a little.

According to some statistics we know that about 30% of child sexual abuse goes undisclosed and unreported.

I have been working in this field for 28 years. I started in my twenties. My first job was with a rural child protection agency in Louisiana. I was literally hired before I graduated. During finals week I drove home for an interview on a Saturday. I started work the day after my graduation ceremony because I needed to have my diploma in order to begin with the State.

I went back and began working in the community where I graduated high school. The population of the parish seat was under 8,000 and the parish was around 50,000. These were “my people” as we would say in the South. I either knew them, knew of them, knew their aunt, their sister, their brother or graduated with their cousin. Seriously.

I had no idea what I was walking into. I had no idea the heartache I would feel when assigned a report that involved someone that I went to high school with. It was a military town, so mostly I prayed to get a report involving the families on post.

In retrospect this was the best thing that could have happened to build the best foundation for what turned out to be my life’s work. I learned some key skills that I am recognizing many in the field have not developed.

I learned humility. I learned compassion. I learned empathy. I also learned the art of persuasion. This was sometimes the only tool available to get you off the front porch facing a very angry father, who held a gun in his hand, and to the kitchen table, with a glass of sweet tea in front of you. Let me clarify. The gun was never pointed at me and, truth be told, this only happened to me once. These people…my people…were those I grew up with. They were people, in some cases, that were adults that I respected.

I can almost pinpoint when I developed these skills. There was a legislative change in my state and all unfounded reports had to be expunged from all records. The pay for a caseworker in Louisiana at that time was pretty low. This was an opportunity to make some overtime, so many of us would come in on the weekends and work on expunging records.

During that process, I came across many records of people I went to school with. When I realized how many of the kids I went to school and church with that were reported as victims of abuse, my childhood played back in my mind in slow motion, in segments. I could literally remember moments when I was “judging” kids I knew as being lazy because they slept in class or bad because they were always lashing out at people.

Those overtime hours were hard. I spent a lot of time in self-reflection. I can say that I always tried to be nice to everyone, so I didn’t feel like I had to redeem myself in anyway, but it was a pivotal moment in my life.

Since that time, I have had others who were more than classmates, they were/are friends, tell me about their history of abuse. It reminds me that these children who are abused in our community are not unknown to us. The 872 abused children in Jackson County are part of us. They are “our people”.

As April comes to an end I want to challenge each of you to continue to do something…to do one thing a day, a week, a month, or at least a year to help address child abuse.

It is a community problem. We have to work together. It is the only way to make a change. I invite you to call me or to contact us through our website or our Facebook Page if you are unsure what your one thing could be.
The Stories the Numbers Do Not Tell
By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

As another year comes to an end, I am reflecting on things I could have done better, missed opportunities and what changes I will be committed to in the New Year. I am also looking back over all the good work that the CAC staff, Board, Volunteers, Advisory Council and friends of the CAC have done in the last 12 months.
- Year to date we have served 716 children who were abused and 443 of their non-offending caregivers.
- 148 of these young victims suffered more than one type of abuse.
- We provided 295 children with more than 2000 therapy services.
- Our Family Support Team provided over 2500 support and advocacy services.
- Our Forensic Interviewing Team provided 570 forensic interviews.
- Our Medical Department provided 171 medical services.
- Our prevention program taught 561 adults to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.
When you look at just the numbers it tells a story. We together were able to make an impact on 1159 people who have suffered trauma as result of child abuse. The year isn’t even over. We will see children right up until the last hours of the year. Our team provided over 5000 life changing services.

What the numbers do not tell you is a whole other story.

They do not tell you of a young lady who sought and received confidential advocacy through our co-located Community Works advocate. They do not tell you of the mom that received comfort and support when her world began to crumble around her as her child disclosed sexual abuse by his dad. They do not tell you of the young children who witnessed horrific violent abuse of one parent by another who found safety as a result of their visit to our Intake Department. They do not tell you about the youth who found relief as her CAC Medical Provider told her that her body was fine and assured her she did not have a sexually transmitted infection. No, the numbers only tell part of the story.

Nationally there is a debate as to whether child abuse numbers are decreasing.

We are not seeing that at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County. I cannot explain why that is. I have theories but that is all they are; not based in science or fact. I do know that we continue to have much work to do. I do know there are many children in our community that continue to seek safety.

I read the news. I watch the news every day. It gets to be pretty depressing. There is not a day that goes by that I do not read some tragic story of a child who have been chronically neglected. I read a story yesterday of two children whose mother left them home locked in a room while she traveled. She had an adult friend check in on them and feed them once a day. Toddlers.

It is heart breaking. I reflect on that as my stress mounts in providing my son the best Christmas ever. I reflect how many of our community partners are striving to provide the best holidays for the children we serve by providing giving trees and gifts for those young abuse victims we see every day at the CAC. This time of year always pulls at my heart strings. Children should go to bed with images of sugar plums parading through their dreams, not with images of someone they love doing something unimaginable.

What can you do as one person in the universe?
- You can take our free Protect Our Children Child Abuse Prevention Training. It is free. Call the CAC or sign up here: http://cacjc.org/services/prevention. It will be some of the most beneficial hours you spend all year.
- You can provide financial support to one or all of our service programs. We are good stewards of your donations and make them work to impact the most children possible. Donate Here
- You can volunteer at the CAC. We are in need of volunteers in all departments. More Information Here
- You can make a report when you see something that makes you suspicious a child is being neglected or abused. You CAN make a difference. More About Making a Report Here
You only need to choose how you will do it.
One Thing You Can Do That Matters
By Ginny Sagal, Communication & Outreach Coordinator for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

You can’t read a newspaper or turn on a television without hearing about child sexual abuse.

Do not feel helpless.

There is one thing you can do that matters in addressing child sexual abuse. You can take a child abuse prevention training through the Children’s Advocacy Center Protect Our Children Project.

When I read and hear these horrible stories, I think how wonderful it would be if all parents and caregivers knew how to recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.

The Protect Our Children training guides you through 5 steps to protecting children from sexual abuse.

The 5 Steps are:
1. Learn the Facts: 1 in 10 children are sexually abused before the age of 18. Over 90% of them know their abuser. There is no more of this stranger danger thing. We need to go beyond that.
2. Minimize the Opportunity: Decrease the risk of abuse by eliminating one on one situations.
3. Talk About It: Have age appropriate, open conversations about our bodies, sex and boundaries. I think of the gymnast kids who were abused by their doctor or coach that the families had trusted.
4. Recognize the signs: Why is this person giving gifts to my child? Why is this person always with the kids when he or she should be with the adults when we are at a party?
5. React Responsibly: How you reacts matters. Go with your gut feeling!
The Protect Our Children Project uses the Stewards of Children curriculum, developed by Darkness to Light.

We believe that when adults take the class they recognized that it is all our responsibility to protect children.

We believe that adults who take the class decrease the risk of the children in their life being sexually abused.

The fact is that 99% of participants who take the training would recommend this training to a friend, family member or co-worker. (Study done by the University of Oregon Center for Prevention of Abuse and Neglect.)

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County has partnered with The Ford Family Foundation to offer this training to anyone in Jackson County for FREE.

Just think, in 2 to 3 short hours you can decrease the risk that a child in your life will be sexually abused. THAT IS BIG!!!

Do one thing that Matters for the kids and teens in your life. Take a Protect our Children training.

To register for a training for yourself or your group, business or organization go to: http://cacjc.org/services/prevention or call Leah Howell, Protect Our Children Training Coordinator, at 541-734-5437 ext. 1013

Ginny Sagal
Help kids develop healthy body boundaries

By Leah Howell, Training Coordinator, The Protect Our Children Project of The Children’s Adv0cacy Center of Jackson County

One aspect of effective child sexual abuse prevention is creating a relationship with your child or other children in your care that encourages openness about their body boundaries.

Adults should always support a child in deciding for themselves when and how they choose to show physical affection. Encouraging this autonomy establishes that the child is in control of the decisions that concern their bodies. If a child feels uncomfortable or uneasy or resistant to physical affection, they should be encouraged to verbalize and act on it without opposition from parents or other adults.

While taking the Stewards of Children training, participants are asked to think about how they would start a conversation with their child about establishing their body boundaries. This is a very important ongoing discussion to have with your child.

Many times this is an intimidating idea for parents who may not be comfortable knowing what to say, or how to start this conversation with their children. There are a number of age appropriate books and stories that will aid a parent in starting the conversation, and to help a child to understand. This blog summarizes a number of these helpful books: https://rhythmsofplay.com/books-that-help-kids-develop-healthy-personal-boundaries/
Take action to change children’s lives
By Kirsten Arreguin, Program Manger, Jackson County Child Welfare and Board Member, The Children’s Advocacy Center

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Thank you for taking the time to read and get informed about child abuse prevention. Most people would probably avoid reading about the abuse and neglect of children. It’s easier to ignore it, pretend that it doesn’t happen in your community, in your neighborhood or to children that you know.

But you’re different. You’ve taken the time to educate yourself or you may even know firsthand what it’s like to suffer from child abuse. For whatever reason, you’re the kind of person who gets involved in finding solutions. You’re a leader in your community’s fight against child abuse and you show a great deal of strength and courage.

You know the warning signs of a child in danger might include:
- Frequent or unexplained injuries
- Sudden changes in personality, activities, or behavior
- Inappropriate sexual behavior
- Depression and anxiety
- Hypervigilance
You know the warning signs of a family at risk that may include:
- Abuse of alcohol or drugs
- Domestic violence
- Isolation from others
- Difficulties controlling anger or stress
- Appearing uninterested in the care, nourishment or safety of their children
Are you looking for more ways to make a positive difference in the lives of children? You already have a heart to serve, so here’s your next challenge: Look at the suggestions below and resolve to take action on one of these this year.

Take the Training!

Protect our Children is a child sexual abuse prevention training program offered through The Children’s Advocacy Center. This free training teaches you how to protect your child and those around you from sexual abuse. You will learn to spot the signs of possible abuse and respond effectively if you suspect abuse.

I’ve taken this valuable training, and I urge you to do the same. Please go to the Children’s Advocacy Center’s website and click on Services/Protect Our Children to register to find out more. You can attend 3 hour training held monthly at the Jackson County Library or request a training for your work, church, or organization. I can’t tell you how important this training is for every adult in our community. Please consider signing up today.

Volunteer your Time & Talents!

Have you already taken the Protect our Children training? Would you also consider volunteering your time to assist others to complete the training? There are several opportunities available for you to help make more trainings available to the community. Your time and talents are needed in many other ways also. You can view more opportunities on the CAC website when you click on the Volunteer tab. No time is ever wasted when it’s spent in the service of a child who’s experienced abuse or neglect.

If you’re not able to volunteer your time, can I make a personal ask of you? The CAC provides specialized medical and therapeutic services to hundreds of children every year. They need your financial support to continue offering these valuable services. Please consider making a donation today by visiting the website and clicking Donate. Believe me, I know firsthand how important your gifts are to the children who are seen at the CAC.

Open Your Heart and Home!

As the Program Manager for Jackson County Child Welfare, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to tell you about our community’s great need for foster homes. Unfortunately, at this time, we are struggling daily to find families who can provide foster care for children who have been or are suspected of being the victims of abuse or neglect. It is a heartbreak to have no other option than to separate siblings into different homes because there simply is no room for them to stay together. Would you like to find out more about becoming a foster parent? Please contact us at 541-776-6120 or visit us on Facebook Jackson County Foster Care and Adoption.

Thank you for having a heart for children and a desire to help in their healing.

Kirsten Arreguin
Does child abuse happen in our state? In Jackson County?
By Tammi Pitzen, Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Center of Jackson County

April is child abuse prevention/awareness month. This is my traditional April Blog recognizing and focusing on the problem of child abuse.

I was doing a little research to see what was going on in the world of child abuse. I found a page on the internet that is nothing but stories of child abuse. They are all true. They are all recent. They are all heartbreaking.

One tells of a child whose father found out she was having sex and so, as punishment, forced her to become a prostitute at a truck stop. There are stories of child fatalities; there are stories of parents beating their children. It is quite disturbing. It is a true crime website. I was simply looking for some compelling story to blog about and found a whole site. All from 2017.

Some will say that those horrible things do not happen in Oregon. Those things happen in other countries or other parts of this country. Sadly, this is not accurate.

There were 964 children abused in Jackson County in 2016. In the state of Oregon, there were 27 child abuse fatalities. 21 of those were perpetrated by a parent or parent figure. All 27 of the children who died knew their abuser. We call it child abuse fatalities, and as awful as that sounds, it does not sound as awful as murder. We look for words that are softer to describe these heinous acts.

Child abuse happens in Oregon. Child abuse happens in Jackson County.

The foster parent shortage that has been reported on is not just in other parts of the state. It is here in our county as well.

This is not someone else’s problem. It is ours. The problem has been long established. What isn’t as clear, is the solution.

How do we make a meaningful impact? Where is the catchy child abuse slogan? You know…like the “War on Drugs” or “No Child Left Behind”. Where is the rally cry to help keep kids safe from the dangers that lurk within their own homes?

People who work in the field of child abuse; particularly those who work in prevention, joke about “working themselves out of a job” and “putting the CAC out of business”. It is a good goal. But where is the rally cry? These of course are rhetorical questions. Unless you have an actual answer. Then I am all ears!

There are things that you can do all year long…..long after April has ended. You can:
- Find an agency that helps to protect children and support them in any way you can. If you can’t donate money, then donate time and talent. Nonprofit agencies are quite adept at leveraging whatever your gift is, with other gifts, to create the biggest impact.
- If you suspect abuse, make a report–even if it feels uncomfortable or even if you are unsure. The professionals will figure it out. You don’t have to figure it out.
- Not sure what abuse looks like? Take a training on recognizing abuse. The CAC of Jackson County offers several opportunities, either through our Protect Our Children program or through other offerings such as Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment offered this May. Register here: https://tinyurl.com/kwm6qx5
- Do you see a mom or a dad struggling? Offer to help.
- Let your legislative representatives know that children and child abuse is a priority for you and you want it to be their priority as well—both at the state and federal level.
- You can change the conversation from “Why didn’t she tell?” to “Why did he do that?”
- You can become a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) and learn how to advocate for children in the foster care system. We have hundreds of children on a waiting list right now who need an advocate.
- You can teach your children, your grandchildren, your nieces and nephews, your neighbor’s child — all the children in your life — who is allowed to touch what part of their bodies and under what circumstance.
- You can tell the adults in your life that your child is off limits by being present, by asking the right questions, and by staying in tuned and attentive to your child. If an offender knows you are watching and vigilant, it makes your child less accessible to them.
You can STOP saying Not My Child; Not My Problem.
Change for Children: Our 3 Agency Collaborative Brainchild
By Jennifer Mylenek, Executive Director of CASA of Jackson and Josephine Counties

The month of April represents Child Abuse Awareness, which helps shine a spotlight on the tragic circumstances of hundreds of thousands of abused and/or neglected children in the U.S. It is also a month in which I’m honored to be a part of a rich collaborative of child-serving agencies that have joined together to raise awareness and funds to support our strong linkage of services provided to abused children in Jackson County.

The Children’s Advocacy Center, CASA of Jackson County, and The Family Nurturing Center are three cornerstone non-profit agencies that support the needs of marginalized, abused, and/or neglected children in various ways with the common goal of ensuring every child can be safe from harm, thrive in a stable/loving home, have equal educational opportunities, and heal from abuse.

The three agencies are led by strong and experienced Executive Directors who realized that together, we can do much more for our children.

Working across agencies has always been our practice when we have shared child clients, but April brought us together in a bigger way. The subject of child abuse awareness is challenging to promote. Most people would rather turn away than accept that it is going on in our county in an epidemic-like fashion.

We knew we could raise more awareness with the larger footprint of our three agencies shining a coordinated light.

Change for Children was our brainchild and began last April in a small way. Today we have seen a significant surge in community support and with our combined staff pitching in to raise the flag on child abuse, much is getting done. Not to mention we found we all work really well together!

I think you’ll agree that recognizing there’s a problem is the first step toward solving the problem, but stepping in to be part of the solution will lift your spirits to new heights, I guarantee it.
- You can help by simply eating out at the establishments supporting us below
- You can volunteer at one or more of our three agencies: CAC, CASA, Family Nurturing Center
- You can sign up for the PROTECT OUR CHILDREN training to learn how to prevent child abuse
- You can look into becoming a foster parent
- You can thank our thoughtful sponsors by supporting their businesses
- You can text C4C to 71777 to make a donation which will be shared by our three agencies
If you’re already helping a child or children in some way, thank you.

There is no greater gift than to see a smile on a child’s face or to know you made a positive difference in their life.
Ensure your child/teen is safe in the care of a youth organization

By Leah Howell, Protect Our Children Training Coordinator

Recent headlines are almost unbelievable. Another employee from a youth serving organization has been accused of making sexual advances toward a teen.

It makes us wonder how this person has been allowed to join the ranks of a reputable organization. We assume that the employment screening that an organization does, in adhering to national standards, will keep our children and teens safe. So why does it keep failing? If these measures are, in fact, effective how do these abusive acts toward children and teens keep happening in our organizations?

As most of us are aware, organizations are made up of humans. Humans who at times have poor judgement, make mistakes, and overlook problems. Pressure from others, funding difficulties, or the urgent needs of the population served may compel a leader in an organization to approve arrangements that risk the safety of the children and teens in their care. These actions are not taken out of malicious intent, but are enacted based on difficulties in some area of the organization that cause it to stray from what is ideal.

As clients and customers of these organization’s services, you are in a position to influence these decisions. You have the power to demand that the organization’s policies ensure the safety of your child or teen, no matter what challenges they face.

Here are some suggestions about how to ensure your child/teen is safe in the care of an organization:

Step One: Get Educated– When you become educated in what should be expected of an organization who cares for your child/teen, you will know what to ask and what to look for while interacting with the organization. Protect Our Children Stewards of Children training is a free, 3 hour training that informs adults about healthy policies in organizations as it relates to child-adult interactions. We offer this training each month at the Medford Library. In this training you will also receive a workbook with many resources that spell out exactly how an organization should conduct themselves.

Step Two: Observe and Ask– After you have educated yourself, it is time to start observing what is going on in the organization. For instance, do any red flags go up when you drop in for a visit? This is the time when you start asking the organization really important questions, “What are the circumstances, if any, when an adult may be one on one with a child?,” “What are your screening practices in hiring new employees?”, “Do you ever make exceptions to your stated policies?” ,”Do you provide a Code of Conduct for employees and volunteers that outlines what is and is not acceptable while working with children?” These questions, and others highlighted in the Protect Our Children Stewards of Children training, will go a long way in bringing attention to the situations that would be most dangerous for your child. It also makes the organization aware that you are paying attention, and will be holding them accountable to their responses.

Step Three: Evaluate– Now it is time to evaluate whether the organization is responsive and adhering to the standards that increase the safety of your child/teen, or whether they are unnecessarily exposing your child to unsafe situations and people. If you are dissatisfied with their current policies- communicate that to the leadership. Let them know that the Protect Our Children Stewards of Children training can be brought to their site, and is offered free of charge. We can also assist them in developing safer policies, and provide resources to help them navigate some of the challenges they may face in enacting them.

Your child’s safety depends on your awareness and action. We can make our community safer for our children, but it takes a proactive effort.

Leah Howell