By Sarah Schulz
sarah.schulz@theindependent.com

"Education is key," said Sondra Schwehn, director of the Child Advocacy Center. "Parental awareness is a big key to keeping kids safe."

While it is important for children to know how to report inappropriate sexual contact, the ultimate responsibility for protecting children lies with adults, she said.

There are a variety of ways adults can help children who have been abused or who have abused others.

Stewards of Children is a national program focused on training and educating adult volunteers to work with children, Schwehn said. The program is offered through Darkness to Light, a nonprofit organization aimed at raising awareness of child sexual abuse.

Stewards of Children provides adults information on preventing, recognizing and reacting responsibly to sexual abuse. The program's curriculum includes training on preventing sexual abuse, understanding the facts of child sexual abuse, how it happens and what to do, understanding the proactive role of youth-serving organizations and enhancing community training initiatives, according to Darkness to Light.

Schwehn said the training has been offered in Grand Island previously, and the Child Advocacy Center can be contacted at 385-5238 by anyone interested in learning more.

A new state program focusing on child safety is also available through the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, and a class was presented in Grand Island on March 21, said Yolanda Nuncio, Central Service Area administrator. The program includes training for care providers and foster families on keeping children safe. Additional similar training will be presented in the area in May, she added.

Also, HHS workers are available to speak to staff members at schools, child care centers and other agencies about the protection and safety of children, she said.

Anyone interested in more information on any of the department's programs can contact Nuncio at 385-6147.

In addition to adult education workshops, the Association for Child Abuse Prevention offers programs for children. Presentations such as Happy Bear, who teaches children about what's safe and appropriate behavior, help children recognize when they need to tell someone about abuse, Schwehn said.

Once abuse has been reported, children are often interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center.

The center's employees work with local law enforcement, HHS and the Crisis Center to share information and resources. That helps cut down on costs and the need to interview a victim repeatedly, Schwehn said.

Training for conducting such interviews is done through Small Voices, a program that specializes in training adults to talk to children. Training is held once a year in Nebraska and this year will be in Grand Island from April 7 to 11, she said.

After gathering evidence, officers can refer the case to the county attorney's office and often work with HHS to determine if the perpetrator, victim or both need to be removed from the home, she said.

Safety plans are put in place for each case based on the circumstances of that case, Nuncio said. Children might be taken to a foster home or put in emergency placement.

"It's very individualized," she said. "We look at the family, at the child's needs. It all depends on safety."

A plan is of particular importance when the victim and the offender live in the same home, Schwehn said. Each case is evaluated on its own merits, and the plan is based on the severity of the offense, she said.

HHS employees look at counseling options for both the offender and the victim, and the center has referral information for health and financial resources, Schwehn said. The center can also provide an advocate to stay in touch with the family. In cases where one of the children becomes a ward of the state, a court appointed special advocate may get involved, she said. Heartland CASA's trained volunteers represent the best interests of a child in the courtroom.

Nuncio said each child who becomes a state ward is evaluated, and if it is determined that therapy would be beneficial, it is arranged.

Many of the cases that come to light are the result of a report to the HHS Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, (800) 652-1999, she said.

Nuncio encourages anyone who suspects child abuse of any kind to call the hotline and to keep calling if their concerns persist. The hotline is available in Spanish as well, she said.

Anyone who suspects that a child has been abused is required by Nebraska law to report it to the hotline or a local law enforcement agency.