BECOME A PARTNER IN PREVENTION

A Partner in Prevention is an organization or business that commits time and effort to educating their staff on preventing, recognizing, and reacting responsibly to child sexual abuse.   It is an annually awarded distinction. 

Approved organizations are recognized as a D2L Partner in Prevention for a period of one year. The organization is given a dated Partner in Prevention emblem to display at their facility, place on their website, and use on printed materials. The emblem is a sign to the community that the organization has made a commitment to prevention and has put measures in place to prevent child sexual abuse in their organization and in their community.
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PARTNERS IN PREVENTION RECEIVE:
  • A dated window “cling” of the Partner in Prevention emblem to display at their organization or place of business. 
  • An electronic version of the emblem for use on the organization's websites.
  • A high resolution version of the emblem for print.  
  • Recognition at www.D2L.org as a Partner in Prevention.

The Partner in Prevention Commitment Includes:
  • Committing to use Stewards of Children to train staff and volunteers who interact with youth.
  • Commitment to conduct criminal background checks on staff and volunteers who work with youth.
  • Commitment to implement policies that prohibit 1:1 adult/child alone time.   

What Does the Partner in Prevention Distinction Means to Parents 
Organizations provide their staff and volunteers with prevention training create an environment that better protects children. Training increases staff and volunteer awareness and helps them to recognize signs that an opportunity exists for abuse to occur, as well as, signs that indicate that abuse has occurred. Prevention training assures parents that staff and volunteers know how to responsibly react if they recognize the signs or if a child discloses abuse.

Research has shown that perpetrators are drawn to places where they can have easy access to children. Organization that utilize prevention training and appropriate policies sends a message to predators that they are NOT WELCOMED.                                            

   How the Program Works

There are three sets of criteria for qualification, based on the type of organization or business. 

Criteria One
Qualifications for organizations that provide direct services to youth through adult who work PRIMARILY as VOLUNTEERS (for example: a church, a mentoring program, a recreation/sports program):
  • 90% or more of the current employees AND volunteers have been trained using Stewards of Children, AND
  • The organization tracks who has completed the training, AND
  • New employees and volunteers joining the organization are required to participate in the training within a specified time-frame, AND
  • Employees and volunteers are required to repeat the training every three years, AND
  • Background checks are completed for all employees and volunteers, AND
  • All adult - child interactions are observable and interruptible.
    *"All” refers to 90% or more of employees and 90% or more of volunteers who interact with youth.  

Criteria Two
Qualifications for organizations that provide direct services to youth through adults who work PRIMARILY as EMPLOYEES (for example: a school, a daycare, a library):
  • 90% or more of the current employees are trained using Stewards of Children, AND
  • The organization tracks who has completed the training, AND
  • New employees and volunteers joining the organization are required to participate in the training within a specified time-frame, AND
  • Employees and volunteers are required to repeat the training every three years, AND
  • Background checks are completed for all employees and volunteers, AND
  • All adult - child interactions are observable and interruptible.
      *"All” refers to 90% or more of employees who work in a facility where youth are present.

Criteria Three
Qualifications for organizations that DO NOT provide direct services to youth (a police department, a civic organization, a corporate sponsor):
  • 90% or more current employees or members are trained using Stewards of Children, OR
  • A particular subset of all* current employees or members are trained using Stewards of Children, AND
  • Organization pledges to conduct the training at least one time per year to incorporate new employees or members, AND
  • Organization pledges to have employees or members repeat the training every three years.  
(*In the case where a significant subset of employees are being trained, ie., all police officers or all firefighters, at least 90% of the subset of employees being trained, not 90% of the entire employee base.)
The Partner in Prevention distinction does not; confer any endorsements or approval of an organization or business by D2L. The program and associated emblem is intended only to convey that the organization has met certain training standards.  It is not an endorsement of the services provided by the organization.
We look forward to an opportunity to meet you and your board/leadership to discuss how D2L's training program can increase your efforts to protect children.  For more info on becoming a Partner in Prevention:
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Contact Mrs. Olinda Ricard-Hodge, Authorized Facilitator, D2L Steward's of Children: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention at 678-768-6331 or via email at
[email protected] to schedule an appointment.
Source:  Darkness to Light's Prevent Child Sexual Abuse>Prevention Programs>Partner In Prevention