PCAR’s Vision of Hope Grant awarded to the Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County

HARRISBURG— The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) has awarded its annual Vision of Hope Grant to the Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County to help caregivers prevent child sexual abuse.

 

PCAR grants up to $50,000 each year from its Vision of Hope Fund to support effective prevention projects in Pennsylvania and throughout the country to help teach adults how to create safer environments for children.

 

The shelter’s project, Empowering Caregivers to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse through Enhanced Community Partnerships, will provide medical personnel, social workers and caregivers with educational opportunities at key moments in a child’s life including:

 

Prenatal period: Caregivers will gain information aimed to reduce risk factors that raise the likelihood of child sexual abuse.

 

Postnatal period: Caregivers will learn about boundaries and setting clear limits with family members and others who are in contact with the child.

 

“PCAR is proud to support CSLC in this multi-step prevention program,” PCAR CEO Delilah Rumburg said. “Through the center’s treatment and intervention work they see first-hand that parents and caregivers want to do the right thing for their children. This project provides caregivers with tools and information to enhance their ability to prevent, recognize and respond to child sexual abuse.”

 

The project also will provide physicians and other health-care personnel with education on screenings for child sexual abuse and age-appropriate conversations regarding healthy sexuality and setting personal boundaries.

 

Since 1981 the Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County has been the county’s response to violence and abuse, serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and other serious crimes and older victims of any crime, while also working to prevent violence and abuse through prevention education, intervention training and public awareness.