Published: 04/01/2025 - 8:00 AM
Join us during Five Days of Action to help prevent child sexual abuse!
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of our commitment to protecting the children in our community, we’re participating in the Five Days of Action - a week-long campaign to increase awareness of child sexual abuse and empower and equip us all to prevent it. By taking part in this important campaign and through implementing abuse prevention practices year-round, the Greater Philadelphia YMCA is committing to the safety of all children in our community.
The Greater Philadelphia YMCA serves over 250,000 members. Half of those are under the age of 18. The Y is the largest provider of Child Care in Pennsylvania. We provide pre-school and school-age child care at our branches and off-site locations.
We are proud and respectful of the trust parents place in our YMCA. A safe environment for children combined with quality programming is an important part of our focus on youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Our core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility are a part of everything we do. We place great value on providing the most child-safe environment possible and creating an atmosphere where children grow and thrive.
The crucial pieces of abuse prevention include KNOWING, SEEING, and RESPONDING.
Find more info at fivedaysofaction.org.
KNOW
KNOWing about child sexual abuse can help adults better understand what to look for and how to prevent it. As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults to the young people in our lives, we play an important role in protecting them from abuse. This requires our commitment to continually learn and then ask questions about the safety of our loved ones.
Learn the key questions to ask from Praesidium, the YMCA's partner in child abuse prevention HERE.
SEE
When we SEE boundaries being crossed or suspect a child is being abused, we can and should act quickly. As a parent, caregiver, coach, or volunteer, it is up to you to make sure any environment in which children in your care interact is free from abuse.
Learn the 6 grooming behaviors every parent or caregiver needs to know and what to do if you see them, from our partner, Saprea, HERE.
RESPOND
Did you know that you don’t need evidence to report abuse—only reasonable suspicion? But even for adults, reporting abuse is hard. We don’t want to falsely accuse someone or get someone in trouble. On the other hand, reporting might be the one thing that saves a child – or children – from abuse. It is our responsibility to RESPOND to any and all disclosure, discovery or suspicion of child sexual abuse.
How can you take action to prevent child sexual abuse? View resources that are designed to help families and caregivers teach personal and digital safety in a comfortable and accessible way HERE.
We take our commitment to child protection seriously. Click the link below to learn more about how we keep kids safe in our communities.