Federal Funding to Boost Stop It Now! Child Abuse Prevention Services

March 1, 2010 - PRLog -- Stop It Now!, a not-for-profit organization that helps adults prevent child sexual abuse, is set to receive $250,000 in Federal funding through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward J. Byrne Memorial Grant program.  Funding will increase the availability of free child sexual abuse prevention help available to adults through the Stop It Now! Online Help Center and Helpline phone service. The Online Help Center is a private, 24/7 resource accessible through the Stop It Now! website (www.StopItNow.org). Both services are designed to make it easier for adults with questions or concerns about child sexual abuse to get guidance and resources for taking action before a child is harmed.

Also known as the Child Sex Abuse Prevention and Protection Center, Stop It Now! focuses solely on adults and communities by providing specialized information and guidance for parents, educators, and community leaders to understand what actions to take to insure greater safety for children.  

“This program has invested years educating families throughout Massachusetts about effective ways to protect children from abuse before it happens, and they’ve had proven results. This new investment will allow them to expand and improve their Helpline, ensuring that their resources are more widely accessible,” said Senator John Kerry.

“I am pleased to support this strong program that protects children from sexual abuse. These funds will allow the good work Stop It Now! does to reach more people,” added U.S. Congressman Richard E. Neal.

Stop It Now! plans to continue improving these services and increase their visibility so more adults know that resources are available to answer their questions or concerns  about preventing sexual abuse of children. “Our survey research shows that the adults most likely to take action or to prevent child sexual abuse are those who have been personally impacted by the issue,” says Deborah Donovan Rice, Stop It Now! Executive Director. “Opening new channels of communication to provide help and support will move us closer to a critical mass of adults that are mobilized to do their part in keeping children safe from sexual abuse.”

# # #

About Stop It Now!: Stop It Now!® prevents the sexual abuse of children by mobilizing adults, families and communities to take action before a child is harmed. We provide support, information and resources for adults to take responsibility for creating safer communities.