Parent and Caregiver Resources (Center for Child Counseling)

https://www.centerforchildcounseling.org/resources/parentresources/

Ways to Talk With Children (Center for Child Counseling): Videos, Tip Sheets, Free Workshops including Preventing Child Sexual Abuse

https://www.centerforchildcounseling.org/resources/waystotalk/

Stop it Now: Stop It Now! is a nonprofit organization committed to preventing child sexual abuse. In 2015, Now! became an affiliate of Klingberg Family Centers, a private, nonprofit, multi-service agency based in New Britain, CT. Founded in 1903, Klingberg's mission is building healing relationships that empower children and families to reach their full potential.

https://www.stopitnow.org/about-us/who-we-are

Committee for Children (cfchildren.org): The "Hot Chocolate Talk" is a campaign developed by Committee for Children in Seattle to help parents and caregivers initiate conversations with children about sexual abuse prevention and personal safety. The campaign uses the metaphor of a warm cup of hot chocolate to create a comfortable and approachable environment for these potentially difficult conversations. 8 short videos on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNJiZRTK9Gf9KI6ozd47TTW1eCUtQuS-6)

More free parent resources from Committee for Children: https://www.secondstep.org/free-resources#hot-chocolate-talk

Darkness to Light (www.d2l.org): Darkness to Light empowers adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse through awareness, education, and stigma reduction. We believe that protecting children is an adult’s responsibility, and that through education and training adults will be empowered to act. Our work empowers adults and organizations to bring child safety to their own communities.

Select a topic below to access a drop-down menu of practical tips and tools tailored for parents, caregivers, and youth-serving organizations. These one-page resources provide clear, concise guidance on key safety topics, making it easy to understand and implement best practices. They are designed to empower you with the knowledge and strategies needed to create a safe environment for children.

• Talk to Kids About Body Safety & Boundaries

• Talk to Kids About Digital Safety

• Talk to Kids About Events in the News

• Pre Teens & Teens Conversation Guide

• 3 to 5 Conversation Guide

• 6 to 8 Conversation Guide

Tips for Parents

• Checklist for Safer Sleepovers

• Tips for Hiring Caregivers

• Tips for Selecting Youth Serving Organizations 

• Online Safety Guide

• Healthy Sexual Development 

The Massachusetts Children’s Trust (https://www.childrenstrustma.org): Driven by an evidence-based approach, the Children’s Trust develops and supports programs that help parents build and sustain healthy families in Massachusetts. We are the only statewide child abuse prevention organization with a network of over one hundred of the most innovative local community organizations. We invest in high-quality programs informed by rigorous research in order to improve outcomes for children and families. 

Parent Training: “Keeping Kids Safe”

Keeping Kids Safe is a free 90-minute multilingual and multicultural workshop for parents and guardians to provide them with practical skills to help keep their children safe from dangerous or abusive situations. Parents will learn to use age-appropriate language, understand the signs and symptoms of abuse, how to create family safety rules and what to do if a child discloses something has happened to them.

“Technicool” (Length: 2 hours) 

There are risks to children in all types of digital environments, such as the internet, smartphones, apps, and gaming platforms. Participants in this two-hour training will have opportunities to learn and discuss best practices for keeping children and youth safe in digital environments. This training is for parents, caregivers, and community providers who are interested in learning more about how to best keep children safe on the internet.

“Family Support Fridays”

Join us each month from February - June for a FREE webinar training series with experts in the fields of family support and parent education. Stay tuned for more information. 

Visit the training calendar to see the upcoming training schedule or email training@childrenstrustma.org for more information.

The Mama Bear Effect: (https://www.themamabeareffect.org/)

Our down-to-earth educational resources help families and communities all over the world to raise awareness and prevent child sexual abuse. From parents and caregivers to advocates and prevention-focused organizations, we offer a range of free downloads, materials, pediatric resources, and research to help spark conversations and change the culture of sexual abuse, from a mindset of silence and shame to courage and compassion. 

“Rock the Talk”

 We understand that child sexual abuse can seem uncomfortable to talk about. But the reality is, it is a very serious threat the safety and well being of all children regardless of age, race, gender, or economic standing. Thinking that it couldn’t happen to someone we know or that it is too uncomfortable to discuss can very well enable abuse and keep a child or adult survivor from speaking out. It is up to us to create an environment where innocence is protected and we set a standard where it is understood that, just like a mama bear in the wild, nothing will come between us and our desire to protect our children.

Down-to-earth conversation starters and tools for parents and educators to destigmatize abuse prevention and body safety talks with children.

• The importance of adult education

• Introducing body safety to infants & toddlers

• Empowering grade school children

• Continuing the conversation with teens

• Children with disabilities

Stop it Now! (https://www.stopitnow.org/): Stop It Now! is a nonprofit organization committed to preventing child sexual abuse. Now! was founded in 1992 by Fran Henry. In 2015, Now! became an affiliate of Klingberg Family Centers(link is external), a private, nonprofit, multi-service agency based in New Britain, CT. Founded in 1903, Klingberg's mission is building healing relationships that empower children and families to reach their full potential. They have sections for professionals, and also a fairly comprehensive section with resources for parents and caretakers.

Help and Guidance: https://www.stopitnow.org/help-guidance

Tip Sheets, Guidebooks, Library of Resources, “PARENTtalk” Archives, Spanish language resources: https://www.stopitnow.org/help-guidance/prevention-tools?qt-field_tabs=1#qt-field_tabs

Child Welfare Information Gateway (https://www.childwelfare.gov/): Our purpose is to equip individuals with the resources needed to support positive outcomes for all children, youth, and families. We provide access to the following: Publications, Research, Laws and policies, and Databases covering a wide range of topics, including prevention, child abuse and neglect, adoption, search and reunion. We are committed to developing and distributing content focused on kin-first culture and lived experience. We provide content for families, youth, the public, and child welfare professionals, including those who work in adoption and other related professions. Through our website, you can download and share over 200 free publications vetted by the Children’s Bureau, including more than 50 Spanish-language products. Our library is among the Nation’s most extensive collection of child welfare-related resources, and you can browse a wide range of topics.

Visit our page on “Parent and Caregiver Resources”: https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/parents-and-caregivers/?top=1393

The National Center on the Sexual Behavior of Youth (https://www.ncsby.org/): We strive to inspire youth, parents, caregivers, and professionals to make better choices – to instill healthier responses to problematic sexual behavior (PSB) in youth. We want to promote youth's healthy sexual development and behavior and prevent sexual behaviors that are developmentally inappropriate or potentially harmful to others. The NCSBY is an evidence-based resource and information center. We are part of the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN) in the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. We offer national training, resources, and assistance to those interested in learning more about the sexual behavior of youth.

For Parents and Caregivers: (https://www.ncsby.org/parents-caregivers)

Encountering problematic sexual behavior involving your children can be overwhelming. We are here to help by offering resources, treatment information, and support so you can better understand these behaviors. We can help you develop a plan of action. You’ll find resources and other materials discussing childhood sexual development, safety planning, and nurturing healthier behavior. Learn More.

Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) (https://fosi.org/): Need help talking with your kids about online safety? Want to know about parental controls? Looking for a simple set of rules to use with your children? FOSI’s Good Digital Parenting provides you with videos, tip sheets, resources, blogs, and more. FOSI brings together the best safety messages, tools and methods to reach parents, children, and caregivers. They actively work to educate and inform governments, regulators, industry, and media around the world on a balanced approach to child online safety.