The Women’s World Summit Foundation is sponsoring the sixth annual 19 Days of Activism for the Prevention of Abuse and Violence Against Children and Youth. This worldwide event happens every year from November 1-19. For the fourth time, the Child Advocacy Center and local agencies that assist child abuse victims are participating in the event.
“Nineteen days may seem like a short period of time, but to a child being abused it’s a lifetime,” said Sharon De Boer, executive director of the Child Advocacy Centers in Rutherford and Cannon Counties. “Now imagine the impact we can have on a child’s life in 19 days by collaborating with other organizations, raising awareness, and encouraging our community to report child abuse.”
The Child Advocacy Center is a non-profit agency that serves victims of child abuse, child sexual abuse, and drug endangered children. The Center works as a multi-disciplinary team with the Department of Children’s Services, law enforcement, and the District Attorney’s Office to respond to child abuse cases. The Department of Children’s Services protects children, law enforcement arrests perpetrators, the District Attorney’s Office prosecutes offenders, while the Child Advocacy Center helps children and families heal from the trauma of the abuse.
The 19 Day Campaign is a multi-issue coalition of diverse organizations and partners, including young people, involved in the fight against one or more of the 19 abuse issues listed in the 19 Days of Action Prevention Kit, working for a social transformation, mobilizing agents for change, and informed prevention actors to help create public awareness and support at the national, regional and/or international level. This year’s focus is on malnutrition. Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of the deaths of children under age 5—3.1 million children each year worldwide.
During the 19 Days of Activism, the Child Advocacy Center has two goals. The first goal is that the 19 Days of Action partner agencies will be sponsoring press releases every day for 19 days to educate our community about child abuse, with a focus on malnutrition.
The Partner Agencies are:
- CADCOR
- CASA
- Centerstone
- Child Advocacy Center
- Domestic Violence Program
- Family Center
- Earth Matters
- Greenhouse Ministries
- Kymari House
- La Vergne Police Department
- Middle Tennessee State University, Food Sciences Department
- Murfreesboro Police Department
- Nurses for Newborns
- Rutherford County Schools
- Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
- Saint Thomas Hospital
- Smyrna Police Department
- Special Kids
The second goal is that the Child Advocacy Center is sponsoring “Darkness to Light” trainings to educate parents, grandparents, and professionals how to protect children from child sexual abuse and what to do if a child discloses abuse. Contact Rebecca Stamps at the Child Advocacy Center to attend one of the “Darkness to Light” trainings or bring this child sexual abuse prevention training to your church, school, PTO, sports league, civic group, or business.
Watch for more information this month from the Child Advocacy Center and other organizations that provide critically needed services to child abuse victims.
For more information on the 19 Days of Activism contact Rebecca Stamps at (615) 867-9000 or visit the Women’s World Summit Foundation website at http://www.woman.ch/index.php?page=19daysofactivism.
“Darkness to Light” November Trainings:
Date Location
Nov. 1, 2016 MTSU Family Relations Class
Nov. 10, 2016 Linebaugh Library
Nov. 10, 2016 Village Learning Academy
Nov. 15 & 22, 2016 CAC Non Offending Parent Support Group
Nov. 21, 2016 Cedar Grove Elementary
Nov. 29, 2016 Murfreesboro City Schools ESP