Hello & time for a "progress" report! I was slowed by a week of spring break vacation, however, I am heartened at some good news for a change:
After exchanging MANY emails with one of our Mongtomery County Council Members (Phil Andrews), I am happy to report that he and his staff are now paying attention to the issues of CSA prevention (my request to enact county legislation to require county-run youth-serving organizations to show policies/procedures/guidelines which protect children from potential predators, etc)! This was not easy, as they first told me all about the county's victim assistance program (which does nothing to provide prevention).
Also, while I was out of town, our school district leadership left me a voice mail in response to my letter to our school district Superintendent of schools! Seems they would like to talk about my "very important letter and issues". Dare I hope!?!
I will attend the Moore Center for the Prevention of CSA's Second Symposium on CSA (at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health) on April 26th in Baltimore. Would love to meet any ACE members who plan to attend.
I will also attend the E. Diane Champe' Institute's Fundraiser in Olney, MD. She hopes to open a CSA Survivor's Clinic across the US. s. Champe' and I will have lunch on Friday to talk about our State/County's inactions and poor response to trauma-informed care and prevention of childhood traumas.
As always, I am energized by everything I hear, see, read, do on this topic. It is my passion.
That's it for now.
Brenda