Five Days of Action, April 15-19

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. As part of our commitment to protecting children in our community, we are participating in Five Days of Action, a week-long campaign to increase awareness and inspire adults to take action to protect children from sexual abuse. By participating in this important campaign and applying abuse prevention practices year-round, The YMCA of South Hampton Roads is committing to the safety of all children.

Beyond a week-long dedication to raising awareness and signing the pledge to take action and protect children from sexual abuse, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads has also taken additional steps to assure the safety of the children in our care by investing in staff focusing on the safety of our childcare programs with a new position, Association Director of Childcare Health and Safety.

Association Director of Childcare Health and Safety Kristen Banua shared, “My goal is to elevate our organization’s knowledge and skillset for the prevention of childhood sexual abuse. To do this, I will partner with Darkness to Light, an organization that empowers adults and organizations to bring child safety to the forefront of everything they do. My vision for the YMCA of South Hampton Roads in 2024 is to bring evidence-informed prevention strategies to our staff and to empower everyone to advocate for the safety and security of the children we care for in every capacity.”

At the Y, we take our commitment to child protection seriously. Check out our prevention policy to learn more about how we keep kids safe in the communities we serve.