This post is sponsored by The Monique Burr Foundation for Children. All opinions expressed are my own. Let’s #ChangeTheConversation.
It’s summertime, and our kids are going to be home from school. Are you signed up for any special summer programs or summer camps? Chances are your child will be around new friends and new adults as they create summer memories. Have you done your safety check for child safety?
Child Safety at Summer Camp
Being around a new environment makes you anxious as a parent because you want to ensure your child’s safety. Recently I shared some tips for how to end bullying. Unfortunately, in this conversation we turn to something even more difficult to discuss: Keeping our kids safe from sexual abuse.
As a parent there are some elements that you need to address this summer at home when it comes to school, church, summer camps, clubs and even friends’ homes. Have you discussed with your child the red flag that could indicate an unsafe situation and how to tell someone?
- Statistics show that 75% of victims never report sexual abuse – it’s time to move this conversation from taboo to talked about.
- 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused before their 18th birthday
- Talk with your child about abuse prevention.
12 Questions Parents Need to Ask Their Child’s Summer Camp
Have you looked into the program safety policies that you’ve signed up for this summer? Here are 12 questions that you should ask to ensure your child is in an environment that’s set up to ensure child safety and prevent child abuse.
- What trainings do staff receive to keep children safe?
- How are staff screened?
- Are criminal background checks performed on all your employees?
- How do you screen for possible sex offenders?
- What is the ratio of staff to children?
- How does the camp screen visitors?
- How does the camp handle emergencies?
- How will your child be oriented to the camp?
- How does the camp handle bullying?
- What does the camp practice for sun, insect and water safety?
- Is the camp accredited by the ACA?
- Is there abuse-prevention training provided for all employees who work with kids, including camp counselors who might be youth themselves?
This summer before you head to camp as a parent I encourage you to learn more about the 5 Safety Rules from the MBF Child Safety Matters® Program and go through them with your child.
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children has developed a research-based, proven child abuse prevention program to help keep your child, or a child you care for, from becoming a statistic.
Their mantra: Every child deserves to be safe.
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children teaches students about red flags that could indicate an unsafe situation, and how they can avoid those situations and tell parents or another Safe Adult – including teachers.
They understand that these are not easy conversations to have, but they need to happen.
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children
- For students in grades kindergarten through five
- Two classroom lessons per grade level annually (four-lesson option available)
- Lesson times range from 20 to 55 minutes
Start Building Support for the Upcoming School Year This Summer
Ask your school this coming year to use the Monique Burr Foundation for Children Programs so that ALL students get this necessary information. Did you know your child’s principal and guidance counselor are year round employees, and they are at the school most of your child’s summer vacation. I encourage you to set up a time to chat with them about your concerns. Share about the MBF Child Safety Matters® Program and how administrators can implement it at your child’s school. Even an informal email to the guidance counselor is a great way to start the conversation for the 2018-2019 school year.
Prevention programs can improve test scores, grade point averages, lower dropout rates, and improve overall school safety and climate. Children and families thrive when they have access to safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments. We can help support all of this through abuse prevention programs like the one provided by the Monique Burr Foundation for Children.
MBF Child Safety Matters® Program
Research-based curriculum has empowered more than 2 million children to prevent, recognize and respond to bullying, cyberbullying and all types of abuse. Florida state appropriations through the Florida Attorney General’s Office continue to fund the program, allowing schools to use the curriculum at no cost.
Monique Burr Foundation for Children Mission
At the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, we believe every child deserves to be safe. And we are on a mission to change the way prevention education is delivered, to ultimately create a culture change that changes the conversation from #MeToo to #NoMoreMeToo. Research shows that 95% of abuse is preventable through education, so we provide research-based prevention education programs to schools across Florida and in multiple states. Our programs teach students in K through 8th grade, 5 safety rules to help protect them from bullying, cyberbullying and all types of abuse. We’ve reached over 2 million students in six years and hope to reach every student in the United States.
Sign up now for the MBF Child Safety Matters® and let’s keep our children safe this summer.
