The Retreat’s Project SPARK Offers Free Online Training During Child Abuse Prevention Month

1 in 10 children will be sexually abused by their 18th birthday. It’s time for our community to become aware of the scope of the issue, take actionable steps towards both preventing and responding to abuse, and create safer environments for the children in our lives.

As part of child abuse prevention month, The Retreat will be hosting two online trainings using the evidence-informed program: Darkness to Light Stewards of Children, covering five steps in forming a framework for preventing child sexual abuse.

Darkness to Light Trainings (via Zoom):

• April 12, 2022 from 2:00pm-4:00pm, or
• April 27, 2022 from 10:00am-12:00pm

Registration is required, contact Jennifer Ballesteros, educator, jenniferspark@theretreatinc.org.

This program is helpful to adults working with youth, educators, medical professionals, caregivers and parents. It is designed for anyone looking to protect children.

Research shows that children who were victims of child abuse by a caregiver are more likely to experience domestic violence in their homes. This training is designed to educate adults on ways to recognize, prevent, and react responsibly to child abuse. The program’s goal is not only to educate but to inform and prepare the community in ways to intervene and prioritize creating safe spaces for children.

Project SPARK is a grant-funded program that was awarded to the Retreat in the Fall of 2020. The program aims to provide specialized response services including counseling to children/youth and their non-offending caregiver who have experienced family violence. While intervention plays a vital role in working with trauma survivors it is also imperative to acknowledge prevention as a strategy to make communities safer.

The Project SPARK team offers training in Suffolk County, free of charge, in Spanish and English, either in person or online. The program aims to train 900 adults in Suffolk County in 2022 and was made possible through funding provided by the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVSPA).

For more information or to host a training, please contact Nicole Keller, Director at nkeller@theretreatinc.org or 631-761-8518.

Follow us on social media @AllAgainstAbuse, or call 631-329-4398. If you need help, call The Retreat’s 24-Hour Crisis Hotline at 631-329-2200. All services are free and confidential and translation service for any language is available.