Back in 2003 — 2003! — when I accepted the offer to serve as the Executive Director of Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center, I knew very little about the Child Advocacy Center model and had no idea all that was to come. What I did know was that it was easy for me to say "yes!" to the offer to lead a fledgling nonprofit dedicated to ...
News and Events
Donate to Help Kids like Sidney this Year
Meet Sidney. Sidney is 12 and loves to read, hang out with her friends, and draw. She dreams of being an art teacher and exploring new places. One day at school, Sidney worked up the courage to tell a teacher about something scary that happened. Sidney disclosed that her uncle had sexually abused her. Her teacher, a mandated reporter, contacted ...
12 Ways to Support Safe Shores this Season and Beyond
There are so many ways to #ProtectKids365. During this season of giving, will you support Safe Shores and show up for child abuse victims? Here are 12 ways you can support our work, all year round! Start a fundraiser Have a birthday, anniversary, or other special event coming up, and want to turn that special occasion into a reason ...
Make the Season Brighter for Child Victims
Every year, we invite our community to help make the holiday season brighter for child survivors and their families. For Holiday Giving 2023, we're excited to bring back two beloved elements of Holiday Giving: individual children's wish lists and wrapping parties!That means there are three different ways you can help make the holiday season ...
Welcome and Thank You to Safe Shores Board Members
Last week, during the final board meeting of the 2023 Fiscal Year, the Safe Shores Board of Directors unanimously voted in new board member (and long-time supporter) Dian Holton. This meeting also marked the last for Board Chair Lynn J. English who has served on the board since 2016! Please join us in thanking Lynn for her dedicated service ...
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 for a sprinkle-ing of news! It's time to drop off your filled backpacks for Pack2School! At Safe Shores, we are ...
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 staff, six weeks of classroom lessons delivered by either teachers or external ...
Intentional Parenting: A Conversation with Dr. Stacey Patton and Destiny Bennett
The terms "gentle parenting" and “intentional parenting” are trending these days. But what do these terms even mean? What does this kind of parenting look like in practice? Does research support its effectiveness? And why does all this matter—especially for children and families of color? During Child Abuse Prevention Month, Safe Shores - ...
Let’s get Pack2It! Pack2School Drive 2023
It’s Pack2School time! 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. Together, with you and others in our community, we’ll make sure that at least 150 children whose lives have been ...
Safe Shores Wishes You Rest, Joy, and More This Mother’s Day
Mothering requires labor—of the body, mind, and spirit. At its core, mothering is taking care of others. Even when done joyfully and willingly, caring for others requires time and energy. Care work is the most essential, valuable, and undervalued work there is. That’s why this Mother’s Day, we lovingly encourage mothers to take care so you can ...