Network of Victim Assistance Recognized as a “Partner in Prevention” by Darkness to Light
(BUCKS COUNTY, PA) Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA), Bucks County’s comprehensive service agency for victims of sexual assault and other serious crimes, has achieved ?Partner in Prevention? status, a designation awarded by the nonprofit Darkness to Light, which works to protect the children they serve by training staff to understand the issue of child sexual abuse, identify unsafe situations and practices, and react responsibly in the best interest of the children they serve.
NOVA earned the ?Partner
in Prevention? designation by providing ?the Stewards of Children® training
to over 90 percent of its employees, completing background checks for all
employees, and by requiring that situations where one adult is alone with a child be observable and interruptible. ?Partner in? ?Prevention? was created as a national standard to help parents and caregivers recognize organizations that take child protection seriously, by implementing policies and training staff to prevent child sexual abuse.
“We are proud to be a Partner in Prevention with Darkness to Light; this designation further affirms our commitment to keeping children safe,” said Grace Wheeler, Director of Prevention and Training at NOVA. “As an agency
which provides services for children, it is important for every employee to be well-versed
in best practices for child sexual abuse prevention and how to respond should
they suspect or know that abuse has happened. The Stewards of Children® program has been a tremendous opportunity to train our staff.”
Darkness to Light is
an international organization that leads the movement to end child sexual abuse
by educating and empowering adults in education, youth serving organizations,
and communities to protect children. Darkness to Light has affiliates in all 50
states and 17 international locations. To learn more about child sexual abuse
prevention training visit www.novabucks.org/stopcsa, or
to apply to become a Partner in Prevention, visit www.d2l.org/education/partner-in-prevention/become/.
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About NOVA
Network of
Victim Assistance (NOVA) supports, counsels and empowers victims of sexual
assault and other serious crimes in Bucks County and works to prevent and eliminate violence in society through advocacy, training, community education and prevention programs. Founded in 1974, NOVA is a non-profit 501©(3), community-based organization operating out of three offices in Fairless Hills, Jamison and Perkasie. Services are made possible through the financial support of federal, state and local government grants and contracts, corporations, foundations and private donations. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent provided by law. For more information, visit www.NOVABucks.org.
About Darkness to Light
Darkness to Light is a nonprofit organization with the mission to empower adults to prevent child sexual abuse. Through education and awareness, the organization seeks to create a safer world for children to grow and thrive. Darkness to Light’s flagship program, Stewards of Children®, is an award-winning training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. More than 1.8 million adults including educators, youth serving professionals, organization volunteers, and community members have been certified in the program. Stewards of Children® is the only evidence-informed training of its kind, with the largest network of child protection advocates in the world as facilitators. For more information, visit www.D2L.org.
