YMCA of Greater Brandywine Participates in Five Days of Action to Protect Children

Five Days of Action Takes Place from April 21 – 25 to Prevent Child Abuse

(West Chester, PA) – April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. The YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW) is committed to educating parents and caregivers by participating in the Five Days of Action® campaign. Five Days of Action is a weeklong campaign to raise awareness and inspire adults to protect children from sexual abuse. It takes place from April 21-25, 2025.

Help Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
YGBW encourages all members of the community to take part in Five Days of Action® - not just YGBW staff.

“All adults in the community have a responsibility to keep children safe,” says Claudia Aust, YGBW’s Senior Association Director of Licensed Childcare and BASE. “By taking part in this important campaign, adults will learn common abuse prevention practices – including how to recognize and respond to signs of abuse. It can be an uncomfortable topic – but it is one that we must discuss.”

Five Days of Action® Campaign focuses on three primary actions - Know. See. Respond.

Know.
When evaluating camps, sports and other activities for your child, KNOW what questions to ask about abuse prevention. Trusted adults play a vital role in protecting children and teens from abuse. Learn the key questions to ask from Praesidium, the Y's partner in child abuse prevention: praesidiuminc.com/6-key-questions-a-parent-should-ask-of-an-organization.

See.
When we SEE grooming patterns—methodical, subtle, gradual and escalating behaviors used to groom a child for sexual abuse—we can identify them, strengthen our intuition and protect children. Learn the 6 grooming behaviors every parent or caregiver needs to know and what to do if you see them, from our partner, Saprea: saprea.org/blog/6-perpetrator-grooming-behaviors.

Respond.
How can you RESPOND and take action to prevent child sexual abuse? The Trusted Triangle (for younger children) and the Safety NETwork (for older youth) are strategies from the Lauren’s Kids Safer, Smarter Families Family Safety Toolkit. These resources are designed to help families and caregivers teach personal and digital safety in a comfortable and accessible way.

Grades K-2: safersmarterfamilies.org/grades-k-2
Grades 3-5: safersmarterfamilies.org/grades-3-5

With summer right around the corner—a time when children gather for activities and camps, it is a crucial time to bring attention to the simple ways we can all make the children in our community safer.

Learn More About Child Safety at the Y
About Five Days of Action at the Y