Breaking the cycle

When Exchange Club Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Center Director Stacy Hopkins launched the Power of 13 campaign — inspired by the 13 children who died in Alabama in 2015 due to child abuse — she wanted to bring awareness to the Birmingham community for National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month in April. 

The mission of the nonprofit, Hopkins said, is to strengthen families and break the cycle of child abuse and neglect through awareness campaigns, free resources and holistic approaches. 

This year, the Exchange Club gears up for another month of awareness with the knowledge that in only two years, the number of children reported dead from child abuse in Alabama more than doubled, totaling 28 deaths.

“There is a lot of stigma [about child abuse], but I do see a shift. … More and more people, our whole society is kind of going through a shift of uncovering those long-hidden past secrets,” Hopkins said, and ultimately, breaking the cycle of abuse.

In 2016, there were 10,157 victims of abuse or neglect in Alabama, a rate of 9.3 per 1,000 children, according to the Child Welfare League of Alabama. That is an increase of 20 percent from 2015.

Since abuse, especially sexual abuse, is such a difficult subject for most people to discuss, it remains a problem for children all over the state, Hopkins said. She hopes that through campaigns like the Power of 13, the Birmingham community can see how life-saving child abuse awareness and prevention can be.

Hopkins said through a personal connection of someone she loved dearly years ago, she came to understand how much childhood sexual abuse can seriously impact someone for the rest of their lives. 

“I saw how it affected every single relationship in their life, every one as an adult, marital relationship, partners, intimacy, self-esteem, all of that,” Hopkins said. “For me, I wanted to get in front of the kids and get straight to the source on who we are trying to protect because all I can think about is that woman I loved with all my heart. If someone had told her second-grade self that you have a right [to say ‘no’], you can speak up, you can stay safe, you can find someone you trust, would it have made a difference? Would it have broken that cycle? And I believe it would have.” 

The Exchange Club does not directly deal with reporting child abuse, Hopkins said, because reports must be made directly to the Birmingham Police Department or Department of Human Resources. What the club focuses on is spreading awareness and offering support and services to Jefferson County families. 

As part of the second year of a partnership with the city of Birmingham, in April the Exchange Club will be canvassing every Monday at City Hall, the building will glow blue — the color representing child abuse awareness — and Mayor Randall Woodfin will help plant a Pinwheel garden. 

The community is also invited to raise awareness and attend Pinwheels for Prevention Benefit Ride, kicking off at Barber Motorsports Park on April 13 at 8 a.m. 

CHILD ABUSE EDUCATION

One example of a service they offer is the First Teacher Program, a support program that serves families throughout pregnancy until their child turns 5 years old.

Hopkins said when she first became director for the Exchange Club, located at 2300 10th Court South, she knew what she wanted to launch to make a difference: the Safe Kids School Outreach Program, which brings educators into schools to teach about child abuse prevention.

Two months after Hopkins’ team started work on launching the program in Jefferson County Schools, the state passed Erin’s Law, which was created by a woman who was sexually abused as a child. The new law requires the state to educate children about sexual abuse. Safe Kids now serves 4,000 second and fourth grade students.

In addition to its Safe Kids program, it offers free parenting programs, short-term and long-term in-home aid for parents in crisis, professional education for organizations and businesses, community programs and family resources. 

Last year, Hopkins said they also served 75 families and 108 children, in addition to 350 adults with their free parenting classes. Hopkins said the club is in the business of “number one, knowledge, and number two, kindness,” both of which empower those in need. 

“We have a tiny team, but they are mighty,” Hopkins said, adding they have 12 staff members dedicated to showing kindness to families in need, as well as educating both children and parents on child abuse prevention and awareness. 

All of the services offered through the exchange club are free and open to anyone, Hopkins said. Their goal is to educate not just children but the entire community on facts about child abuse, many of which surprise people. 

“I think one of the biggest surprises is 90 percent of perpetrators are someone that the child knows in some way,” she said.

Every hour of every day, there is an allegation of child abuse in Alabama, according to the Alabama Network of Child Advocacy Centers. 

Even though there has been an emphasis in the past few decades about “stranger danger,” statistically perpetrators are most often people the children know. Talking about what abuse is can be one of the best prevention tools for sexual and physical abuse in children. 

Educator and Director of Programs Janet Griffith, who also launched Safe Kids, said the program was created through researched curriculum, best practices and information from child advocacy centers. The curriculum includes a PowerPoint presentation, video and interactive role playing, as well as conversations and time for questions. 

Hopkins said the program is interactive and focuses on teaching “gut and intuition” to kids.

“We talk about who they should tell, who those adults are, how to tell an adult, what words to use because they really need to understand they haven’t done anything wrong and that there is no guilt or shame involved and they can tell someone and ask for help,” Griffith said, adding she has even had a couple of counselors who said a child spoke to them about situations after they were educated through Safe Kids.

The Safe Kids Program gives parents a packet that encourages them to teach their children the names of their body parts and to understand which ones are private. It also encourages parents to teach their children it is OK to say “no” to touches that make them feel uncomfortable and reassure them that they will not get in trouble. Griffith also talks to PTA and parent groups at schools and in all the Exchange Club programs. 

EMPHASIS ON PARENTING

Ashley Cunningham, a mother of two, lives in the Avondale area with her soon-to-be 7-year-old daughter, China, and her 5-month-old son, Ashton. Cunningham said she remembers when the Exchange Club first came to her house after she called and requested in-home development services through the First Teacher Program.

“When my daughter was 2 or 3 [years old], when they came over, I was just having one of those days where it seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Once I got to talking with Maggie Enlow [previously with the Exchange Club], she kind of gave me the inspiration to think that everything was going to be OK. You’re not alone, we’re family,” Cunningham said.

Everyone needs help sometimes, she added, and they were able to help her “get on her feet,” focus on bettering her parent skills and be self-sufficient. 

“You don’t just be a great parent overnight, and with them, I learned how to be a better parent, how to communicate better with my children,” Cunningham said. 

Twice a month, the same aide comes and visits her for an hour, offering resources and working directly with her children on whatever they need to focus on. 

In Cunningham’s case, she said, sometimes it is fine motor skills, shapes, numbers or other basics. Hopkins said it is made possible through a Department of Early Childhood Education grant utilizing MIECHV federal funding and is designed to “put kids in the best possible position for success when they enter the school system.”

Many parents, Hopkins said, choose to enroll in the parenting classes and seek the Parent Aid program again when they have another child. In addition, the short-term Parent Aid Program lasts an average of three to six months and focuses on a personal family plan for families in crisis. 

Positive Parenting Groups are held weekly throughout the year and are open to all parents, expecting parents and caregivers. All new participants are required to complete 12 classes within four months to receive a certification of completion, and each month, a graduation ceremony is held for those who have completed it. 

“When I have a chance to talk to some of these folks, we’re sewing into their lives. We are making a difference,” Hopkins said. “…We care about these families. We want to break these cycles and see people empowered and inspired to be their best selves.”

Call the Jefferson County Child Protective Services Hotline at 423-4850. To donate, plant a virtual pinwheel or learn about National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month and events, visit 4cap.org.

FREE POSITIVE PARENTING GROUPS

HOURS AND LOCATIONS: Monday, 11 a.m. to noon, Smithfield Library (parents with children 12 or younger); Tuesday, noon-1 p.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center (parents with children 17 or younger); Saturday, 10-11 a.m., Exchange Club CAP Center (parents with children 12 or younger. First come, first serve. Limited to 20 participants).

CALL: 423-4850

WEB: 4cap.org