EDUCATION
The Children's Advocacy Center of the 1st Judicial District offers free prevention education and trainings to our community.
Research consistently shows that up to 95% of child sexual abuse is preventable through proper education and awareness. At the core of our mission is a commitment to prevention—not through traditional sexual education, but through age-appropriate body safety education designed specifically to protect and empower children.
Our programs focus on teaching children essential skills such as understanding personal boundaries, recognizing unsafe situations, and identifying trusted adults they can turn to for help. By equipping them with the language and confidence to speak up, we help ensure they are not only aware of their rights to safety but also feel empowered to take action if something doesn’t feel right.
MBF Child Safety Matters
MBF Child Safety Matters® is a comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum for elementary school students in grades K-5. The program educates and empowers children with information and strategies to prevent, recognize, and respond appropriately to bullying, cyberbullying, all types of abuse, and digital abuse dangers. The curriculum encourages children to identify safe adults, safe friends, use their voice, understand the difference in secrets and surprises and learn the 5 Safety Rules. Each lesson takes 35-55 minutes and there are two lessons. The lessons are curated to be done one grade at a time
MBF Teen Safety Matters
MBF Teen Safety Matters® is a comprehensive, evidence-informed prevention education program for middle school students in grades 6-8 and high-school students in grades 9-12. The program educates and empowers teens with information and strategies to prevent, recognize, and respond appropriately to bullying, cyberbullying, all types of abuse, relationship abuse, digital dangers, exploitation, and human trafficking. Teen Safety Matters builds upon the core lessons in Child Safety Matters to provide relevant and developmentally appropriate information for the challenged teenagers face. Each lesson takes 35-55 minutes and there are two lessons. The lessons are curated to be done one grade at a time with the exception of 9-12th grade which is combined.
MBF Mental Health Matters
MBF Mental Health Matters® is a comprehensive prevention curriculum that empowers children to understand, identify and respond to their own and other’s mental health risks. Topics covered include using the 5 safety rules to avoid peer pressure and make healthy choices, types of drug abuse, coping skills, signs of mental illness, limiting time on social media, setting boundaries and how to get help. These lessons are divided into K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th and 9th-12th. There are 1 to 3 lessons that can take 30-55 minutes depending on age.
Happy Bear
Happy Bear is a 25-30 minute skit for K-2nd using a facilitator and a costumed staff member. The skit is interactive and encourages learning through interaction and visual entertainment. Children help the facilitator teach Happy Bear about welcome and unwelcome touches. They help Happy Bear learn who he can ask for help, what our own personal safety zone is, and how to say no to unwelcome touches.
Training
Caregiver Classes
CAC1st partners with community organizations to provide information to local parents and caregivers. Caregivers can expect to learn about digital dangers, screen time, sextortion, signs of grooming, signs of abuse, how to handle a disclosure, reporting, substance use prevention, mental health, current trends and more. These presentations typically take 1 hour, and the information applies to caregivers with children of ANY age. CAC1st does not offer court-ordered parenting classes, foster parent classes or in-office classes. Please contact us if you would like us to come to your organization for a parent presentation.
Staff Training
CAC1st can come to your organization to train staff members on child abuse related topics. Staff members will gain valuable information about signs of abuse, handling a disclosure, reporting abuse, the investigation process, teen dating violence, trafficking, local statistics, online dangers, and more. Staff trainings typically take 1-2 hours depending on the agency’s request.
