What is Erin's Law?
Erin’s Law is named after childhood sexual assault survivor, author, speaker and activist Erin Merryn, who is the founder and President of Erin’s Law, which is registered with the State of Illinois and the IRS as a 501 (c)(4) non-profit social welfare organization.
After Erin introduced the legislation in her home state of Illinois, the bill was named “Erin’s Law” after her by legislators and it has caught on nationwide.
“Erin’s Law” requires that all public schools in each state implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program which teaches:
Resources for Parents and Families
Will County Children's Advocacy Center (Joliet)
The Will County Children's Advocacy Center and our MDT Partners are the front-line responders to reports of sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, sexual exploitation, child pornography, neglect, and exposure to violence of children, ages 3-17, in Will County, Illinois.
A Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) is a child-focused, inter-agency coordinated response center, in which representatives from law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical, and victim advocacy — collaborate to investigate child abuse reports, conduct forensic interviews, determine and provide evidence-based interventions, and assess cases for prosecution.
To understand what a CAC is, you must understand what children face without one.
https://www.willcountycac.org/resources-for-families/
National Children's Alliance -Why is the Children’s Advocacy Center model so important? How does it make a difference for child victims of abuse? At its core, the model is about teamwork – bringing the agency professionals involved in a case together on the front end – and about putting the needs of the child victim first. So rather than having a child taken from agency to agency throughout the law enforcement and child protection systems, and having to endure multiple, sequential interviews, the CAC model brings the system to the child, and brings the agency professionals together to work in a collaborative approach that results in effective, efficient and child-centered casework.
Darkness to Light - The ultimate mission of D2L, to end child sexual abuse, can only be accomplished by sharing the solution of prevention, awareness and education with more and more people. This, in turn, builds momentum and over time, changes the way our nation and culture cares for, protects, and nurtures our children. Being an active participant in the mission to end childhood sexual abuse is one of the most rewarding things we will ever do – and we cannot do it without you. We believe that learning the facts about child sexual abuse helps prevent it. Talking about it helps prevent it. Getting involved helps prevent it. The truth is, if child sexual abuse can be prevented, it can be stopped. That’s why D2L exists – to empower adults through awareness and educational programs to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
Stop It Now- Stop It Now! was founded on the belief that adults are in the best position to keep children safe from sexual abuse. By adults, we mean parents, survivors, family members, law enforcement, and professionals of all types. We also believe that people who might sexually abuse a child have an important role to play in prevention. No other prevention program has ever directly challenged all adults to take full responsibility for ending sexual abuse.
Erin’s Law is named after childhood sexual assault survivor, author, speaker and activist Erin Merryn, who is the founder and President of Erin’s Law, which is registered with the State of Illinois and the IRS as a 501 (c)(4) non-profit social welfare organization.
After Erin introduced the legislation in her home state of Illinois, the bill was named “Erin’s Law” after her by legislators and it has caught on nationwide.
“Erin’s Law” requires that all public schools in each state implement a prevention-oriented child sexual abuse program which teaches:
- Students in grades PreK – 12th grade, age-appropriate techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult
- School personnel all about child sexual abuse
- Parents & guardians the warning signs of child sexual abuse, plus needed assistance, referral or resource information to support sexually abused children and their families
Resources for Parents and Families
Will County Children's Advocacy Center (Joliet)
The Will County Children's Advocacy Center and our MDT Partners are the front-line responders to reports of sexual abuse, severe physical abuse, sexual exploitation, child pornography, neglect, and exposure to violence of children, ages 3-17, in Will County, Illinois.
A Children's Advocacy Center (CAC) is a child-focused, inter-agency coordinated response center, in which representatives from law enforcement, child protection, prosecution, mental health, medical, and victim advocacy — collaborate to investigate child abuse reports, conduct forensic interviews, determine and provide evidence-based interventions, and assess cases for prosecution.
To understand what a CAC is, you must understand what children face without one.
- Without a CAC, the child may end up having to tell the worst story of his or her life. over and over again, to doctors, police, attorneys, therapists, investigators, judges, and others.
- They may have to talk about that traumatic experience in a police station where they think they might be in trouble, or may be asked the wrong questions by a well-meaning teacher or other adult that could hurt the case against the abuser.
https://www.willcountycac.org/resources-for-families/
National Children's Alliance -Why is the Children’s Advocacy Center model so important? How does it make a difference for child victims of abuse? At its core, the model is about teamwork – bringing the agency professionals involved in a case together on the front end – and about putting the needs of the child victim first. So rather than having a child taken from agency to agency throughout the law enforcement and child protection systems, and having to endure multiple, sequential interviews, the CAC model brings the system to the child, and brings the agency professionals together to work in a collaborative approach that results in effective, efficient and child-centered casework.
Darkness to Light - The ultimate mission of D2L, to end child sexual abuse, can only be accomplished by sharing the solution of prevention, awareness and education with more and more people. This, in turn, builds momentum and over time, changes the way our nation and culture cares for, protects, and nurtures our children. Being an active participant in the mission to end childhood sexual abuse is one of the most rewarding things we will ever do – and we cannot do it without you. We believe that learning the facts about child sexual abuse helps prevent it. Talking about it helps prevent it. Getting involved helps prevent it. The truth is, if child sexual abuse can be prevented, it can be stopped. That’s why D2L exists – to empower adults through awareness and educational programs to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
Stop It Now- Stop It Now! was founded on the belief that adults are in the best position to keep children safe from sexual abuse. By adults, we mean parents, survivors, family members, law enforcement, and professionals of all types. We also believe that people who might sexually abuse a child have an important role to play in prevention. No other prevention program has ever directly challenged all adults to take full responsibility for ending sexual abuse.