First Witness Child Advocacy Center

A big thank you to Sawtooth Arbor Supply & Tree Service for cutting down our dead trees which were infected by Emerald Ash Borers. They did a great job and left us with a beautiful open canvas to plant new trees!

We are hiring a Youth Development AmeriCorp member for the 24-25 school year! This position will work with children, family members, and teachers, and be at the forefront of child abuse prevention in our local communities.
Learn more and apply at: https://www.duluthymca.org/tnac/serve

Play therapy is one of the many forms of therapy offered for children who are suffering with severe trauma and PTSD. Every child reacts to trauma differently; however, play therapy has been proven to significantly help children talk about or reenact their trauma in an effective, calm way.

Read more about play therapy on First Witness' Blog!
https://firstwitness.org/news/play-therapy-for-traumatized-children/

Today we celebrate Juneteenth!

Juneteenth, short for June Nineteenth, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln announced the freedom of all enslaved people living in Union States by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation; however, it wasn’t until two years later, on June 19, 1865, that Union Troops marched into Texas to announce the actual freedom of slaves.

Curious to learn more? Check out these Juneteenth resources:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/sites/default/files/files/nmaahc_kids_-_juneteenth_resource.pdf?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2rKKCOMhj9o13XA3qE083nxMpOHBS9ekjfnOOcGdik4YurRqG5ZMnBAfE_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/museum-store/juneteenth-reading-list?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3-qAdW_zjDOH-xm4kPbFwf9rGzdRlTrCpfPmb7fJ4D51Pyz0up7ggDkQg_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

Register for our new Safe & Strong Communities Advanced Advocacy Webinar taking place on September 10, 2024, from 2:00-4:00pm CT.

This training is offered to adults in youth-serving agencies, churches, sports leagues, and beyond. Participants learn how to recognize, respond, and report child abuse. More than mandated reporting, we delve into dynamics of child abuse, how to respond to a child in a trauma-informed way, red flags of child abuse, child resilience, Safe and Strong body safety curriculum, and more.

Register Now: https://firstwitness.org/training/adv-advocacy/safe-strong-communities/

See what other trainings we have to offer: https://firstwitness.org/trainings/

“That nothing here is promised, not one day. And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside. Now fill the world with music, love and pride.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda

Happy Pride!

May 25th is recognized as International Missing Children’s Day.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children offers a host of resources to educate and support kids and their families to try to prevent the number of missing children from growing year by year.

Check out their website to learn more: https://www.missingkids.org/ourwork/impact

Did you know that, in the US, 1 in 5 adults experience mental illness and 1 in 6 youth (ages 6-17) experience a mental health disorder each year? Mental illness can have ripple effects on physical health, relationships, and so much more.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can call or text 988 to be connected with free and confidential crisis resources.

At First Witness, we advocate for everyone to take care of their overall well-being, please use this post as a reminder to take care of all parts of yourself, including your mental health! Comment below with how you are prioritizing your mental health this May and beyond.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a month to honor and celebrate AAPI culture, while also recognizing the struggles facing the community today.
May is a great time to dedicate space to educating yourself on how you can support and celebrate the amazing AAPI community!

Here are a couple of links to get you started:

https://www.asianpacificheritage.gov/index.html

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/asian-american-pacific-islander-heritage-month -do-we-celebrate-aapi-heritage-month

On May 17, we'll continue our Advanced Webinar Series with the session "Media and Pop Culture: How Our Culture Impacts Perceptions of Child Abuse and Maltreatment" presented by Senior Forensic Interviewer, Megan Prouty!

Register for this FREE session today: https://firstwitness.org/register-for-advanced-webinar/

This session will examine examples in our media, pop culture, and entertainment industry related to child abuse and maltreatment. These examples will highlight how public perception of child abuse is impacted and often normalized in ways we may not always realize.

Our hearts have been so full since Thursday evening - thank you to everyone who attended, shared our posts, bid in the silent auction, and continues to support us and our work with children and families.

Spring Splash 2024 was a blast, we sure are looking forward to the weeks and months ahead with our community by our side.

Thank you - First Witness CAC Staff

As Child Abuse Prevention Month comes to a close this week, it’s important to remember that prevention work doesn’t just happen in April. There are many everyday actions you can do to support families across your community.

Learn more about these daily prevention opportunities at these resources:
https://firstwitness.org/resources/?_sft_resource_category=prevention
https://familywiseservices.org/child-abuse-prevention/every-day-actions/

We can’t wait to see everyone TOMORROW at Spring Splash at Clyde Iron Works!

Not only is Clyde hosting our event, they are also a returning Presenting Sponsor of Spring Splash. We cannot thank you enough for continuing to be the host of this event!

Located at Clyde Iron Works - 2920 West Michigan Street, Duluth, MN 55806

For any questions about the event, please visit our website: https://givebutter.com/SpringSplash-2024

Spring Splash is just around the corner - and the silent auction is live!

Join in on the action by visiting the link below - proceeds benefit First Witness and our work with children and families in our communities.

Silent Auction at Spring Splash 2024 By First Witness Child Advocacy Center

Keeping kids safe is our collective responsibility. You can be a safe adult by knowing how and when to report a concern or disclosure of abuse. Follow these tips and share it with at least one other adult in your life so we can create safe environments for kids all across our state.

https://minnesotachildrensalliance.org/learn/how-to-report-child-abuse/

This Child Abuse Prevention Month, we celebrate those champions who are doing prevention work year-round. Congratulations to ALL the 2024 Pinwheels for Prevention Awardees for their hard work strengthening families and children in our communities. We are proud to be among the recipients of this year's awards, and glad to be a part of the community dedicated to child abuse prevention.

Congratulations to Arrows Family Services, Greater Minnesota Trauma Center - St. Peter , Lincoln Park Children and Families Collaborative , and Cap Scott-Carver-Dakota Inc. !

Read more about our awardees here: https://familywiseservices.org/blog-celebrating-the-2024-pinwheels-for-prevention-awardees

How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.

This year's National Crime Victims' Rights Week asks all of us—friends, family members, neighbors, colleagues, community leaders, victim service providers, criminal justice practitioners, and health professionals—how we can help crime victims. Are you prepared if someone confides in you about a victimization? Is your organization victim-centered and trauma-informed? Are you familiar with the services available in your community?

We are eager to thank Story North Productions, not only for being a returning Presenting Sponsor, but also for creating the video you will see on the night of Spring Splash - we appreciate all you have done to support us!

Only 4 more days until Splash, we'll see you there!

For any questions about the event, please visit our website: https://givebutter.com/SpringSplash-2024

Our sincerest thanks to Sisu Beauty + Co. for being a returning Presenting Sponsor for our Spring Splash! We appreciate the ongoing kindness and support!

To learn more about Spring Splash 2024 and to buy your tickets, visit https://givebutter.com/SpringSplash-2024

Children’s Advocacy Centers help kids and their families. In 15 locations across the state, CACs provide a safe, supportive environment for kids who experience violence.

Find your nearest center: https://minnesotachildrensalliance.org/centers/

Have you seen CAPC's Family Event Calendar yet?

Visit www.firstwitness.org/what-we-do/child-abuse-prevention-coalition to see family-friendly events by member agencies, and check-out these upcoming opportunities!

We are so thankful to have Northland Constructors as a Presenting Sponsor for this year’s Spring Splash. Thank you for all your support!

To learn more about Spring Splash 2024 and to buy your tickets, visit https://givebutter.com/SpringSplash-2024

Knowing how to respond when a child discloses harm is important as a trusted, safe adult in a child's life. Whether it's abuse, neglect, or something else, it's crucial to be a safe and supportive presence for the child.



http://minnesotachildrensalliance.org/news/being-a-safe-adult-when-a-child-discloses-abuse

Today is your last chance to buy your tickets for our Spring Splash evening of fun!

On April 25th, we promise an evening full of live music, dinner, a silent auction, a live auction, and a presentation about First Witness’ work and the impact we have made on our community - we hope to see you there!

To learn more about Spring Splash 2024 and to buy your tickets, visit https://givebutter.com/SpringSplash-2024

Spring Splash 2024 Join First Witness CAC for our annual Spring Splash Fundraiser!

Tickets for Spring Splash are almost sold out! If you have been waiting to reserve your seat, now's your chance to join us in-person on April 25 to support children and families in our region.

Not able to be a part of the live event? Our silent auction is virtual and opening a week from today. Get ahead of the crowd and register to bid - it's as easy as following this link:

https://givebutter.com/Splash-Silent-Auction/auction

We would like to give a huge thank you to JMR Financial Group for once again sponsoring our Spring Splash at the Presenting level! We appreciate it!

To learn more about Spring Splash 2024 and to buy your tickets, visit https://givebutter.com/SpringSplash-2024

You can be a safe adult in a child's life. Start with these six steps when a child discloses harm: Listen without judgment, believe them, reassure them, report the harm, provide ongoing support, and take care of yourself. Let's do our part to keep our children safe!

A huge heartfelt thank you to the Fond Du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa for being a Presenting Sponsor for our upcoming Spring Splash event!

To learn more about Spring Splash 2024 and to buy your tickets, visit https://givebutter.com/SpringSplash-2024

We are so honored to be recognized as an awardee of this year's Pinwheel for Prevention Awards from FamilyWise Services, and glad to work within child abuse prevention and body safety in our communities.

Each spring, FamilyWise Services awards organizations, agencies, and community-based initiatives statewide that have consistently worked to create safe, healthy, and supportive environments for children and families through our Pinwheels for Prevention Awards. This year we are honoring five awardees who have been pioneering this work in their communities.

Throughout the month we are highlighting these awardees, and today we are spotlighting First Witness Child Advocacy Center. First Witness Child Advocacy Center’s mission is to strengthen our community’s response to child abuse, making our community a safe place for children to grow and thrive, with the driving vision of a society that supports children and ends child abuse. Along with our work of providing support for the investigation and assessment of child abuse cases, First Witness is a nationally recognized training center for child maltreatment professionals, and they provide prevention education in schools and our community. “Kids and parents cannot do this alone,” said Executive Director Tracie Clanaugh. “They need all of us to stand up and step forward to make our community a safe place, one where all children thrive and grow. Child abuse has devastating consequences for children, and we are asking our community to become educated and aware of what we can do to protect and keep our children safe.”

Congratulations to First Witness Child Advocacy Center, and thank you for all your hard work! View the full list of awardees here: https://familywiseservices.org/blog-celebrating-the-2024-pinwheels-for-prevention-awardees/

Our Spring Splash Event is selling out fast - ticket sales end in exactly one week so make sure to get your tickets today!

On April 25th, we promise an evening full of live music, dinner, a silent auction, a live auction, and a presentation about First Witness’ work and the impact we have made on our community.

To learn more about Spring Splash 2024 and to buy your tickets, visit https://givebutter.com/SpringSplash-2024