The Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Child and Youth Protection office is partnering with the Baltimore Child Abuse Center for two milestone informational events in April.
The April 2 and April 23 events will take place at Archbishop Borders School and St. Bernardine Catholic School respectively. The goal will be to provide information on how to protect children and the signs to look for in an abused child.
The activities come during Child Abuse Prevention Month.
The Baltimore Child Abuse Center, a year-round, non-profit agency, opened in 1987 in response to increased awareness about abuse and the lingering effects of it on victims. It offers investigative and therapeutic resources for them.
Adam Rosenberg, the executive director of the Baltimore Child Abuse Center, said the meetings will be “frank” in nature.
“I think the most important thing is to tell people sexual abuse can be prevented and you can do something about it,” Mr. Rosenberg said. “It is a preventable crime.”
Mr. Rosenberg and Alison D’Alessandro, director of the archdiocese’s Child and Youth Protection office, had frequent talks to form a partnership. He said the church has become pro-active on abuse and “recognizes it as an issue.”
The informational talks at the two Baltimore churches are just the latest example of the leadership of the archdiocese, Mr. Rosenberg said.
“The church is in some ways no different than other communities,” Mr. Rosenberg said. “There are no boundaries. It’s prevalent anywhere.”
Ms. D’Alessandro said the two organizations share the same mission.
“The relationship between Baltimore Child Abuse Center and the archdiocese is very important,” Ms. D’Alessandro said. “One of the main goals of both organizations is to educate people on how to protect against child abuse and recognize signs of child abuse.”
The Baltimore Child Abuse Center will also hold a block party on 23rd Street in Baltimore to kick-off Child Abuse Prevention Month March 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will include guest appearances from Baltimore Ravens players.