The Vatican has expressed “shame and sorrow” over the sexual abuse of at least 1,000 children by more than 300 Catholic priests in Pennsylvania, and has said Pope Francis is “on the side” of survivors. The grand jury report, nearly 900 pages long, was the result of one of the largest US investigations into sexual abuse in the Catholic church. It detailed both the scale of abuse and the extraordinary lengths the church went to conceal and protect the perpetrators. “Victims should know that the pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the church [...]

The author states a Kentucky law has “good intentions” but is burdensome for school districts around the state because the law requires child abuse and neglect background checks of public school personnel, student teachers, contractors, and parents on school based decision making councils. A letter from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which is responsible for processing the checks, is required to verify a check has been completed. Prior to the new law, criminal background checks were required for all school system employees and school volunteers. Now, the background checks include a state social worker’s substantiation of child abuse or [...]

Image taken from art4apurpose.org A shout out to Art 4 A Purpose, a similar organization like us. empowering children and their communities to recognize child abuse and get help through art. Art 4 a Purpose invites the community to view its annual Cake Decorating, Coloring and Art Contest on display at CoMMA through Thursday, June 28. The organization is using the event to further its mission of using the arts to raise awareness of child abuse.  Artists, photographers, writers and coloring artists from across Burke County, NC have submitted works that seek to educate the public of the [...]