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

Safe Shores

To report suspected child abuse / Para reportar sospechas de abuso:

1-202-671-SAFE (7233)

Prevention and Outreach Program

Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® and other Supplemental Trainings

These trainings teach adults how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Beginning with Stewards of Children® adults learn the facts about child sexual abuse, and best practices for recognizing, responding to and preventing abuse in their communities and organizations. For those that have completed Stewards of Children®, supplemental trainings take a deeper dive and further develop skills and challenges adults face when navigating abuse prevention in the real world.

Evaluation of the school-based Healthy Relationships Project

In fiscal year 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded a grant to fund a rigorous evaluation of the efficacy of The Healthy Relationships Project©, a school-based program for children in Pre-K through 5th grade. Developed by Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, The Healthy Relationships Project© is a primary prevention intervention that is deployed within school systems to prevent child sexual abuse. Over a two-year period, Safe Shores will lead the implementation of the program at 16 DC Public Schools and Public Charter Schools in wards 4-8 across Washington, D.C., and provide outcome data for this scientific evaluation.

Read more about Safe Shores’ involvement in this project here.

Community Outreach and Tabling

Child maltreatment is a complex issue that requires the cooperation of multiple organizations, service providers, and communities to address it appropriately and ultimately, to stop it.  Safe Shores welcomes the opportunity to partner with local organizations and groups that are working to protect and improve the health and safety of DC’s children.  If you would like a Safe Shores representative to be present at a community fair event, please contact Sheryldine Samuel (ssamuel@safeshores.org) for more information.