Community Education
Michael’s House facilitates the Stewards of Children, a docutraining developed by a national child sexual abuse prevention organization Darkness to Light. This curriculum teaches adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. It increases participants’ awareness of the prevalence, consequences and circumstances of child sexual abuse, while building skills to address occurrences and promote the healing process. The Stewards of Children encourages commitment to action and facilitating positive change to organizational policies and procedures.
The Stewards of Children curriculum targets adults regardless of age, ethnicity, gender and other characteristics. Adults may include parents and caregivers, advocates and mentors as well as leadership, staff and volunteers of child and family serving organizations (including churches, early childhood care and education, schools ranging from kindergarten through high school, sports clubs and leagues). The Stewards of Children is also appropriate for adolescents, ranging in age from 14 to 18, who are employed as staff or work as volunteers for child serving agencies and organizations.
All training partners are encouraged to include leadership, staff and volunteers – as well as parents, caregivers, foster parents and guardians – in scheduling, planning, recruiting and hosting Stewards of Children trainings. The inclusion of multiple roles in this program increases prevention and recognition of and response to child sexual abuse.