In 2024, the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP) is hosting a series of events called Safeguards 4 Kids for parents and caregivers to help them protect the vulnerable in their communities. These events will take place over the course of three weekends in March-April, and will resume with more dates in the fall.
They will host the first two weekends in March in Jacksonville and Orlando, FL, with an online presentation and an event in Kansas City, MO, in April.
This is a part of a new initiative for ECAP, seeking to raise awareness among parents and caregivers about the problem of abuse, and to help Christians equip their kids with abuse prevention principles from a Christian worldview. Jeff Dalrymple, Executive Director of ECAP, said, “We want to get the message out to Christian parents that abuse is a problem and we need to do something about it.” ECAP has produced a Parent Resources page seeking to help Christian caregivers understand the problem of abuse and what they can do about it.
This event is not just a call to parents, but it is also a challenge to Christian ministry leaders to take the problem of abuse seriously, and consider implementing abuse prevention training and material as a part of their ministry.
“Ministries should be safe places where kids can hear the gospel and grow in discipleship, but we have found that the average ministry has never done a risk assessment on their own operations with children,” said Briggham Winkler, General Editor of ECAP. “Many ministry leaders aren’t even sure about the Mandatory Reporting Laws in their own jurisdiction. How can we trust they will properly respond to abuse that may be uncovered in their ministry?”
ECAP seeks to help ministries grow in their ability to equip children to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. They seek to help churches be places where difficult conversations can happen, and where volunteers and leaders can be trusted to wisely steward the resources God has given them.
These events will also feature short talks from representatives of The Secret Service and One More Child, who will address the problem of online safety and human trafficking, respectively. ECAP is able to host these events thanks to the generous sponsorships of The Idlewild Foundation, the Florida Baptist Convention, The Joy FM, Awana, and The Disciple-Making Parent. Sponsorships are still available for single events, or for the whole tour.
You can learn more at www.safeguards4kids.org.