“It was the easiest thing to do. It’s a natural way to introduce not only the issue of child sexual abuse to the community, but Stewards of Children® and Darkness to Light too.” Last week, SCAN’s Public Education Manager Tracy Leonard was interviewed for a post over at the Darkness to Light blog. SCAN is an official […]
It has only been 20 years since the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) began recommending U.S. babies always be placed on their backs for sleeping to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Many have caught on to the NICHD’s “Back to Sleep” campaign, but there is so much […]
Our Executive Director Sonia Quiñónez spent time meeting with Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and other regional affiliates this week. Much of the discussion focused on what’s next for children and families in the Commonwealth. We’ve blogged a few times this year about the General Assembly and what’s happening in Richmond. Now that the dust […]
Darkness to Light has aspired to reach a tipping point with adults in their home state of South Carolina to make sure that they are “actively preventing child sexual abuse by training 5% of the adult population to prevent, recognize and react to child sexual abuse!” This idea comes from The Tipping Point, a book […]
We talk a lot about families and technology – how to deal with things like sexting, creating family tech rules and unplugging together to make time to connect with each other. But the reality today is that the average person spends about 8-10 hours a day consuming digital media and between 4-5 hours a day using […]
[This Letter to the Editor was first published 4/20/16 in LoudounNow.] Last week, I spent time with Loudoun County Public School staff providing a Stewards of Children training on how to recognize, react and respond to child sexual abuse. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, so the timing couldn’t have been better. But we’ve actually been […]
It’s Child Abuse Prevention Month – the busiest time of year for us at SCAN, and for good reason. April provides extra opportunities to grab the public’s attention. So what do we plan to do with all of that extra “face time” with both child welfare professionals and the greater community? From hosting movie screenings to […]
This year’s General Assembly came to a close on March 11th, and it is important to give thanks to our elected officials who have worked diligently on behalf of Virginia’s children and youth. Back in January at the start of the legislative session, SCAN focused on three issues: early childhood education, kinship care, and foster […]
Being the wealthiest county in the United States might sound like a great thing, but for the vulnerable children and families living in Loudoun County, it simply isn’t. During 2016, SCAN will be helping agencies who serve children and families in Loudoun County to determine where gaps in services exist, explore what obstacles children and families […]
Some might call Erin Merryn a survivor, an advocate, a hero, or all three. Erin Merryn is a remarkable, brave young woman. She is the drive behind Erin’s Law, which “requires age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention education in grades Pre-kindergarten through 12 along with training school staff on the prevention of sexual abuse.” […]
We’ve all been there – in line at the grocery store, at a child’s sporting event, or even in our professional work with a family – a moment when we see a parent react a little (or a lot) too harshly to their child. Our gut may tell us to do something, but we often […]
Last month, SCAN held its second facilitator training for the Strengthening Families Program, this time with a focus on the curriculum for elementary aged children (6-11). Heather Eshleman and Larry Williams, from the Strengthening Families Foundation, led the two-day training, sharing their expertise and extensive experience with the program. Here are our three main takeaways […]
It’s a topic that has come up often in our Allies in Prevention Coalition Meetings: How do parenting topics and resources apply to those raising children with special needs? In many cases, families are all facing the same struggles — how to discipline, deal with sibling rivalry, find childcare — but at the same time there are […]
Every January, the Virginia General Assembly convenes, and this year children’s issues are once again at the forefront of many discussions. The three main agenda items SCAN will be focusing on in 2016 are early education, foster care and youth, and kinship care. A significant development this year that has the potential to greatly impact […]
So much of what we do at SCAN is about prevention, before child abuse or neglect begins in a family. As child welfare professionals, we know that education and support of parents is key to empowering caregivers to ask for help, improve their skills and nurture children in the healthiest ways. But connecting parents with the resources they […]
Parenting is learned. Parenting is tough. Parenting changes every day because not only do parents change every day but children do, too. Parents look to professionals in the human resource fields for help. The best we can do for those families that we work with and that are a part of our lives is to […]
Here they are — our 5 favorite tips from around the web to help parents manage stress this holiday season: Pay close attention once per day. “Parents find themselves scattered over the holidays. Sometimes we forget that children need our time more than ever when things become hectic. We can give the gift of attention every day, without […]
When we first launched our Kids Need Connections child abuse prevention campaign in 2014, our “Children’s Stories That Build Resiliency” was a huge hit. We have presented at various conferences and given several workshops throughout Virginia highlighting not only the 15 stories but also resiliency theory and how to build resiliency in children. We were asked […]
As November draws to a close, many families spend time together and give thanks; November is also National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to bring awareness to the fact that in 2013, there were approximately 2.5 million children in the U.S. who experienced homelessness. According to Project Hope-Virginia, of those 2.5 million there […]
“Advocacy is giving a voice to children and families.”- Christie Marra, Virginia Poverty Law Center On Tuesday, November 17th, in partnership with Prevent Child Abuse Virginia, SCAN invited individuals from across Northern Virginia to participate in its 4th annual Stand Up for Children Advocacy Day. (#standupforchildren) Participants in this year’s training spent the morning with […]
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and last week, on October 22nd, we wore purple to promote awareness. The color purple signifies “courage, persistence, honor, and the commitment to ending domestic violence” (NRCDV). Domestic violence is violence or physical abuse directed toward one’s spouse or intimate partner, and it causes more injuries each year to […]
The family reunification experience is a growing challenge for child welfare advocates, school districts and other service providers here in Northern Virginia and across the country. In the United States, 20% of children are growing up in immigrant homes and a large number of these children joined their parents after years of separation. They come to escape gangs, […]
One year ago this week, SCAN published its first white paper. In an effort to provide a deeper understanding of some of the complex issues we address in prevention and advocacy work, we continued to develop more in-depth tools for resource providers and child welfare advocates in our community. Since last fall, we’ve published two more papers. SCAN’s current […]
This past week, SCAN’s Allies in Prevention Coalition hosted a Darkness to Light supplemental training and panel discussion at Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library in Alexandria. More than 40 service providers came from around Northern Virginia for the meeting. What subject drew so many people? The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children. The short video training from Darkness […]
Earlier this week, a group of local service providers gathered in SCAN’s Community Training Room to learn about Operation Safe Babies. Although many come in to these events with some knowledge on safe sleep and abusive head trauma, there are always new issues discussed and important ideas shared. Everyone walks away with valuable information and resources to share as they work with the […]