Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center | The DC Children's Advocacy Center

Message Regarding Our COVID-19 Policies

Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center is committed to being a safe, helpful, and trustworthy resource, available to everyone who needs our services and support. Due to COVID-19, we are observing federal and local government public health protection guidelines. Upon arrival, visitors will complete a COVID-19 screening (questions and temperature check) and may be asked to wear a mask. If you have recently had COVID-19, you must wear a mask on the premises for the full 10 days from the date of exposure or infection, consistent with DC Health Department and CDC guidance.

To report suspected child abuse in the District of Columbia call 1-202-671-SAFE(7233)
To report suspected internet crimes against children, contact report.cybertip.org

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- - - Our Services
    - Recognizing Abuse
  - - At Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center, we are committed to providing families with the services they need to provide immediate healing and relief from the trauma of abuse.
Get Involved
- - - Get Involved
    - Coffee for Kids
  - - Get Trained
    - Stewards of Children^®
  - - There are many ways to get involved with Safe Shores to protect the children in the District of Columbia. Learn more about what you can do to make a difference in a child’s future today!
Learn About Us
- - - Multi-Disciplinary Team
    - Careers
  - - Safe Shores provides survivor-centered intervention, hope, and healing for children and families affected by abuse, trauma, and violence in the District of Columbia, and works to prevent and end child abuse and neglect through promising practices, policies, and partnerships.
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Safe Shores provides survivor-centered services and support for children affected by abuse in DC and works to end child abuse as the DC Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America.

What to expect during your appointment

News & Events

Get the Safe Shores Scoop on Summer!
Longer days and warmer temperatures are here, perfect for a big scoop on what’s been happening over the last few months at Safe Shores. From Pack2School drives to well-earned honors for our executive director, scroll down … Read more
Evaluation of the school-based Healthy Relationships Project
About the Healthy Relationships Project The Healthy Relationships Project©, developed by Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, is a primary prevention intervention deployed within school systems to prevent child sexual abuse. The curricula consist of training for school … Read more

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Recently on Instagram

#Pack2School sponsors: it's time to shop and drop

#Pack2School sponsors: it's time to shop and drop off your backpacks! This year it’s easier than ever thanks to @cool_hardware. You can drop off your backpack full of supplies at any of their eight DC locations during store hours – you can even buy many of the items right there in the store. Last day for drop off is August 6th, so let’s get #Pack2It!

🛠️ Whether you buy your items at Ace or elsewhere, hand your filled backpack (with original supply list tucked inside) to an Ace employee at the register, scan the Pack2School QR code and complete the form to let us know your gift has been dropped off, and then go on your merry way!

🎒 It’s not too late to join us in helping set kids up for success this school year! Make a donation at the link in our bio.

Though school is out for a bit longer, at Safe Sho

Though school is out for a bit longer, at Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center, we’re working on making sure the children we serve have the learning tools they need for the 2023-24 school year. It’s time to get #pack2it! 100 children still need school supplies – will you help make this year’s #Pack2School Drive a success?

🎒 Sponsor a child’s school supply list! You can register to be a sponsor at the link in our bio above.

✏️ Make a donation, and Safe Shores will do the shopping! A donation of any size helps our clients have what they need to get Pack2School.

📩 Spread the word! Share this post and get the word out to other people who want to participate in Pack2School 2023.

Plus, this year, @cool_hardware is making drop off easier for generous supporters. Backpack sponsors will be able to drop off their donations at any of DC’s eight Ace Hardware stores! Not only do they carry what you need to fix up or beautify your home, but they also carry many of the school supplies kids need this time of year. How cool is that?

Excellence and Impact! June 2023 marks 20 years of

Excellence and Impact! June 2023 marks 20 years of servant leadership by Michele Booth Cole, Executive Director of Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center. As the longest-serving Black child advocacy center (CAC) leader ever and one of just four Black directors of the 1000+ CAC’s in the country, Michele attests that the work of advocating for children is a marathon and not a sprint. In her words, “The children and families we serve are VIP’s, very important people, and they need and deserve VIPs -- very intentional people -- doing the vital work of providing intervention, hope, and healing.”

In partnership with Safe Shores’ board of directors and in collaboration with Safe Shores’ staff, she has strategically led the organization with excellence, compassion, equity, intentionality, humility, an unwavering focus on the needs of child victims, their families, and the people who bring the mission to life, Safe Shores’ staff. And let’s not forget the #BlackGirlMagic that allowed her to help tens of thousands of children all while being a devoted mom to her own three children.

There’s more of Michele’s story to come this summer. For now, please join us in congratulating Michele and showing her some much-deserved love and appreciation. Finally, SAVE THE DATE: September 21, 2023, 6:30 pm, for our spirit-lifting Cherishing Childhood Awards Reception.

🔊 Watch Michele’s acceptance speech of her ex

🔊 Watch Michele’s acceptance speech of her extremely well-deserved DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion) Leadership Award from the National Children’s Alliance during their 2023 Leadership Conference. Her speech (of course) included recommendations! She shared the following resources:

📚 “Do the Work!: An Antiracist Activity Book” by W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) and Kate Schatz
🎤 @99percentinvisible podcast episode “Goodnight Nobody.”

Michele connected the podcast’s cautionary tale of Anne Carroll Moore to the importance of having self-awareness of our own limitations and biases to combat and dismantle racism and the systems of oppression that uphold it.

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Our Impact

In the past year, supporters helped Safe Shores serve the DC community, providing therapy, meals, emergency funds, and take-care bags.

In the past year, supporters helped Safe Shores:

Serve 1,018 Children and Adolescents

Serve 205 Meals in the Kids’ Café

Deliver 946 Therapy Sessions

Provide Emergency Victims Crisis Funds to 116 Families

Provide 270 Take-Care Bags from the Clothing Closet

Get Involved

Virtually tour our thoughtfully designed, child-friendly, victim-focused facility, meet our team, and learn more about Safe Shores.

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Learn how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

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Safe Shores’ services are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Join us and support child survivors of abuse year-round

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