The long-awaited summer has arrived!

Thank you for taking a minute to read our newsletter. This month we share the Child Advocacy award recipients, the 5K event age group winners, and interesting program articles.

Enjoy,

Child Advocacy Staff

Check out our website www.linkforfamilies.org.

Volunteers Needed 

Michelle Zombeck

CASA Coordinator

Review the information, fill out an application, plan for training and get ready to make a difference!

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Gratiot County will be holding a specialized training in the fall for community members who are interested in making a difference in the lives of children who are involved in abuse and neglect situations. 

CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in court and other settings. The primary responsibilities of a CASA volunteer are to investigate, facilitate, advocate and monitor children assigned to them.

No special background or education is required to volunteer.  A potential volunteer would need to be age 21 or older, be willing to complete necessary background checks, provide references and participate in an interview. 

Volunteers are asked to complete a minimum of 30 hours of training, be available for court appearances, and commit to the CASA program until your first case is closed.  

Training will begin September 14th and run through October 19th on Monday and Wednesday in the evenings from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Please contact Child Advocacy for more information 

(989) 463-1422. 

The Protect Yourself Program

By: Richelle Davis

Prevention Educator

As our days grow warmer and our school year draws to a close, so does The Protect Yourself Program.  We are excited to have been able to teach this empowering program to 883 students this year!  The Protect Yourself Program is now being taught to every 1st and 3rd grader in Gratiot County with the program being offered in:   Alma, Ashley, Breckenridge, Fulton, Ithaca, St. Louis, and St. Mary's.

As awesome as it is to see our program continue to grow by leaps and bounds each year, the real awesomeness lies in the number of children whose lives are being changed with the knowledge they are gaining from these lessons.  I am in awe every time I step into the classroom at how unaware many of our children are when it comes to dealing with strangers and in how to protect their bodies and keep them safe.

The groundwork has been laid and now parents need to continue the conversations.  Talk to your children about strangers, give them different scenarios and situations and ask them what they would do.  Continue to talk to your child about safe touches vs. unsafe touches.  In Protect Yourself, we teach that each child is the "boss" of their own body.  Encourage your child to always tell you about anyone that makes them uncomfortable or that gives them unsafe or unwanted touches.  Let's continue to work together to keep our children safe.