The Coffee County Children’s Advocacy Center offers free training to community members. The Coffee County CAC empowers adults to spot red flags and react responsibly to child abuse. The center’s authorized facilitators use Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children program to fight child abuse through education and prevention.
The Coffee County CAC held a training session June 16 at the Coffee County Administrative Plaza. Participants included employees of the Coffee County Lannom Memorial Public Library, Tullahoma Housing Authority and other individuals who wanted to take the necessary steps to prevent child abuse.
“Community members who participated in the Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children training presented by the Coffee County CAC have joined our quest to become a community without child abuse,” said Joyce Prusak, executive director of the Coffee County CAC. “They completed the training and learned how to prevent child abuse.”
It’s rewarding to see that community members are taking the necessary steps to end child abuse and organizations are empowering their employees with the tools and knowledge to respond appropriately to child abuse, added Prusak.
The Coffee County CAC’s authorized facilitators use Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children program to educate the community and eliminate the stigma around abuse.
Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children program trains adults to react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The program aims to eliminate child abuse through training adults to recognize red flags. Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children programs are “the only evidence-informed, adult-focused child sexual abuse prevention trainings proven to increase knowledge and change behavior,” according to www.d2l.org.
Statistics show that 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 7 boys will be sexually abused by age 18. More than 90% of victims are abused by someone they know and trust. Adults have obligation to protect children, and adult education is essential to preventing child abuse.
Thanks to a grant Coffee County CAC received, the center offers Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children training free for community members. The two-hour training is available in-person and presented by a Darkness to Light authorized facilitator.
For more information about training or to schedule a training session, please call Elena Cawley at 931-723-8888 or email elena@coffeecountycac.org. For more information, visit www.coffeecountycac.org.
