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)

News and Events

Safe Shores’ Child Abuse Prevention Month Events

Click here for larger view! Special thanks to the supporters who are making unique efforts to raise awareness this Child Abuse Prevention Month! Check out these April events benefiting Safe Shores: Buttercream Bakeshop Art Supplies Drive  Runs Monday, April 1st - Tuesday, April 30th. Make a donation and receive free cookie of the day! Buttercream ...

Safe Shores Supports “School Safety Act of 2018”

We view the “School Safety Act of 2018” as a critical first step toward keeping children safer in schools by equipping adults in DC schools to recognize, respond to and prevent child sexual abuse. Our Director of Client Advocacy & Prevention & Outreach, Ashley Harrell, MA, NCC, testified in support of the bill at the Nov. 1 DC Council ...

Ways to Support Safe Shores this Holiday Season

Each year, Safe Shores partners with community organizations, businesses, and individuals like you lend a helping hand to families in need and give children affected by abuse and violence in D.C. a special holiday. Here's how YOU can help support kids and families during the 2018 holiday season: With winter quickly approaching, many families have ...

Safe Shores Goes Purple for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

     Oct. 1 Safe Shores Prevention Team members to participate in Paint the Town Purple, hosted by DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence.     Oct. 2 DC Council’s presents DC’s DVAM proclamation. We’ll be there.   Oct. 12 House of Ruth Open House. We’ll be there. Clothesline Project hosted by My Sister’s Place. There, ...

Safe Shores News (August 2018)

HEY THERE! We've been #ProtectingKids365 with your support! See how. Serving the Latinx Community   Reaching Latinx communities in D.C. means being prepared to first learn from the community to then build a foundation of trust. Safe Shores is committed to making our services accessible to local Latinx children and families. Bilingual ...

Hey, Dads, We See What You’re Doing There!

While the greeting card, chocolate candy, and flower industries haven’t caught up with all that fathers do, we see you, dads, and we gotchu! The Hallmark selection may be limited, but we really do know how important good men are in our world and in children’s lives. We see you when you’re on stage in red Puma’s doing ballet to help your little ...

The Spaces That Can Ease Childhood Trauma

Mimi Kirk Mar 29, 2018 Children’s Advocacy Centers make sure kids only have to tell their story of abuse once. On a recent visit to Safe Shores, a Washington, D.C., center that supports victims of child abuse, executive director Michele Booth Cole told me about a 10-year-old girl who came to the center after her father sexually abused ...

Caregivers, Kids and Staff Find Joy on the Ice

“I’m gonna remember this day forever,” Tally, age nine, said to Erin McGuinness, Prevention & Outreach Director, and Gerald Versey, Prevention & Outreach Associate. “Seriously, when I’m 68, I will think about this day.”   On December 12, three families enrolled in Safe Shores’ caregiver support group went ice skating to experience a new ...

Fall 2017 Newsletter

Growing and innovating because of kids like Annie Annie, a 12-year-old girl with fears no child should have, fled her home one night to escape her father’s sexual abuse. She grabbed an armful of her belongings but left her clothes behind. A few days later, Annie arrived at Safe Shores with her mom, a social worker and only the clothes on her back. ...