Reviewing Child Protection Policies

Having a claim of abuse is every youth organization’s worst nightmare. Fortunately, there are things you can do now to be better prepared to deal with such a claim. By planning ahead, you and your team will be better able to guide your organization through the process and help it heal from tragedy. – Put…

Creating a child protection policy is a significant milestone for any youth-serving organization. But writing the policy is just the beginning. The real challenge—and the real opportunity—lies in ensuring your policy remains a living, breathing part of your organizational culture rather than a document that gathers dust on a shelf. Yearly audits aren’t about catching…

Child Abuse Prevention Month — April 2026 The phrase hangs on bulletin boards and appears in staff handbooks across the youth-serving sector: “If you see something, say something.” It sounds empowering. It places responsibility on every member of the organization to serve as a watchdog for child safety. And in practice, it fails—consistently and predictably—because…

Every year on March 14th, people around the world observe National Write Your Story Day — a simple invitation to write about what’s on your mind. Founded in 2017, the day is a reminder that story matters. For those of us who work with young people who have experienced trauma, it’s also an opportunity to…