Stewards of Children training to be offered in Niagara County

Program integrates stories of sexual abuse survivors with perspective of professionals who interface daily with problem of sexual abuse

One in 10 children will be sexually abused by the age of 18, with 90 percent abused by someone known.

Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center says you can make a difference in protecting children by registering for one of the two Stewards of Children trainings being held during the month of January.

The programs will be offered free charge by the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara, a service of Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, with the support of the Niagara Area Foundation.

Stewards of Children is an evidence-informed child sexual abuse prevention, recognition and intervention training. More than 1 million people around the world have taken this training.

Sessions are open to anyone interested in protecting children from sexual abuse, and may be of particular interest to youth-serving organizations, parents, educators, child care providers and faith centers.

The training will be led by Child Advocacy Center Education and Outreach Coordinator Jacqueline Pritchard, an authorized Darkness to Light-Stewards of Children facilitator.

Scheduled training dates are:

•Jan. 13, 2-4 p.m., Lockport Public Library

•Jan. 23, 2-4 p.m., Golisano Center for Community Health, Niagara Falls

Registration is required. Register online using the Classes & Events page at nfmmc.org or call the Child Advocacy Center of Niagara at 716-285-0045.

The Child Advocacy Center is a child-friendly facility designed to coordinate a multidisciplinary response to reports of physical and sexual child abuse of children, as well as cases where a child has witnessed domestic violence. The center is a Darkness to Light affiliate, authorized to facilitate Stewards of Children training within the Niagara County community.

For more information, visit www.CACofNiagara.org, or on Facebook at CACofNiagara.

Founded in 2000, Darkness to Light is a nonprofit organization committed to empowering people to prevent child sexual abuse. Members are guided by a vision to create a world where child sexual abuse does not exist. They believe protecting children is an adult responsibility, and education is critical for prevention efforts, as well as a catalyst for larger cultural change. The immediate focus is to make child sexual abuse prevention national priority.

For more information, visit www.D2L.org, or on Twitter at Darkness2Light or on Facebook at DarknesstoLight.