SAFEchild
Ensuring Every Child Has a Safe and Nurturing Environment
SAFEchild - Stop Abuse for Every Child - offers children and families child abuse prevention and intervention services at no cost.SAFEchild – Stop Abuse for Every Child – began as a vision of the Junior League of Raleigh as the group sought an opportunity to help children and families with unmet needs. “Part of SAFEchild’s genesis in 1992 was creating an organization that could prevent child abuse from happening in the first place,” says Cristin DeRonja, executive director.
Today, SAFEchild is the only organization in Wake County that offers children and families a full range of child abuse prevention and intervention services at no cost. “Our mission is to eliminate child abuse by helping adults and children create nurturing environments free from abuse and neglect,” Cristin says. “We fundamentally believe we can prevent abuse and stop it if it’s already happening.”
Executive director Cristin DeRonja is committed to eliminating child abuse by helping adults and children create nurturing environments free from abuse and neglect.SAFEchild’s Funny Tummy Feelings school-based program empowers first graders to protect themselves from abuse. “Children need to understand their bodies, and if something is happening to them that gives them a yucky, funny tummy feeling,” Cristin says. “More than 90 percent of children suffering from abuse are suffering that abuse from people they know and trust. That can be very confusing for children. Funny Tummy Feelings teaches children to recognize abuse, talk about abuse and, most importantly, know that abuse is unacceptable. They need to be given the permission and empowerment to say no.”
Other SAFEchild programs include:
- Moms Supporting Moms – support for expectant and new parents through the baby’s first year
- MOVE – hope and healing for mothers who have endured domestic violence
- Circle of Security – strengthening the parent/child bond by instilling a sense of security and confidence in children
- MENS – helping fathers create and strengthen nurturing relationships with their children
The SAFEchild Advocacy Center is a child-friendly, community-based facility providing comprehensive medical evaluations for children when there is concern for sexual abuse, physical abuse, and/or neglect. “The SAFEchild Advocacy Center launched 12 years ago based on a national model,” Cristin explains. “Children who have suffered abuse or chronic neglect receive the treatment they need and get on a path to recovery.”
Cristin has been with SAFEchild since 2004, serving in many different roles. She shares what it means to her. “It is a true honor when a child looks at you and trusts you to be the person to make a difference at often the worst point in their life. It’s hard to put into words – that feeling when you are in the position to give a child a voice when they’ve been living in the secrecy of violence and fear and shame and confusion. To help them know that this will not define the rest of their lives, and that they can have a positive and hopeful childhood and a productive adulthood. We can interrupt that cycle of abuse, change the narrative of a child’s story, and give them back that personal empowerment that has been stolen from them.”
TowneBank is honored to support SAFEchild’s capital campaign, which will expand its programs and construct a new building where children and families can feel safe and protected. “TowneBank is our largest financial partner, and they are such wonderful advocates for the nonprofit community,” Cristin says. “Connie Thames served on our board. Brian Reid and the entire team give us invaluable financial advice. For a small nonprofit to begin a capital campaign to build a 20,000 square foot facility while maintaining our current programs could be intimidating and even paralyzing without the calm reassurance of every person we know at TowneBank.”
To learn more about SAFEchild’s important work and how you can help, visit safechildnc.org.