Five Days of Action for National Child Abuse Prevention Month

This year, the Merrimack Valley YMCA will be participating in Five Days of Action – a national initiative to improve the health and well-being of kids. Five Days of Action focuses on preventing child sexual abuse by sharing tips on how adults can step up and speak out to prevent child sexual abuse.

We’ll be hosting events throughout the month of April to raise awareness and provide information on how to prevent child sexual abuse. Please join us for one or more of these events, which are all free and open to the public.

We hope you will join us in taking the pledge to Stand Up and Speak Out to Protect Children. Help us raise awareness by printing out a pledge card, taking a picture of yourself with it and posting it to social media. Be sure to tag us @mvymca

Children’s Champion Award Ceremony

April 4th • 8:00am • Methuen YMCA

This award recognizes the contributions of an outstanding individual who has made a significant contribution in the Merrimack Valley in the areas of child abuse prevention, intervention, treatment and/or child advocacy. This year the Merrimack Valley’s own Executive Director of Child Care Cathy Flynn is being recognized with this award.

Healthy Kids Day Andover/North Andover

April 14th • 11:00am-2:00pm • Andover/North Andover YMCA

This event offers games and activities aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Healthy Kids Day Lawrence

April 21st • 11:00am-2:00pm • Lawrence YMCA

This event offers games and activities aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Stewards of Children Training

April 24th • 6:00-8:00pm • Methuen YMCA

Stewards of Children is a training designed by Darkness to Light to educate adults on how to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to the reality of child sexual abuse, emphasizing child safety as every adult’s responsibility. Free babysitting will be offered for those attending this training. Follow the link below to register. For more information on Darkness to Light, please visit https://www.d2l.org/

Keeping Kids Safe Training

April 30th • 6:00-8:00pm • Lawrence YMCA

This training, designed by The Children’s Trust, provides specific language and guidance that parents can use to talk with their children to keep them safe. Follow the link below to register. For more information on The Children’s Trust, please visit https://childrenstrustma.org/

The Merrimack Valley YMCA and the YMCA Guardians for Child Protection, with support from YMCA of the USA, Darkness to Light, the Redwoods Group Foundation, and Praesidium have made materials available to help adults learn more about preventing child sexual abuse.

For more information about preventing child sexual abuse visit our Child Protection & Resources page or www.fivedaysofaction.org.