Educating Families

Kids Have Rights™ is a child abuse prevention program. The Children’s Advocacy Center has been providing child abuse prevention programming in schools in Ottawa County for over 20 years. We work collaboratively with area elementary schools to present body safety lessons during the school day and include mini-lessons and parent/caregiver materials to be utilized by the teacher and sent home after our presentation. 

Kids Have Rights™ (KHR) Prevention Educators bring varying, relevant, experience and education to our Prevention Program. Collectively, the team possesses background in the areas of education, child development, child psychology, and family and child services. KHR educators have experience working with children of all ages and backgrounds, both in and out of the classroom. All members of our team are provided with specialized training specific to child sexual abuse and invest in ongoing education and professional development – ensuring both program content and delivery remain relevant and in-line with best practice.

The KHR learning goals center around:

● Body Safety Rights (see below)

● Identification of Safe Adults

● Three distinct kinds of touch (Safe, Not Sure, Not Safe)

● When and how to get help from a Safe Adult

KHR promotes body safety rights for each student, sharing that they are entitled to body safety rights no matter what. Knowledge and understanding of these rights, empowers kids to help keep themselves safe. 

Students learn they have the following body safety rights:

• To be listened to

• To feel important

• Not to be scared

• To feel safe

• To say no

• To not be touched on private parts

• To tell and be believed (regarding any problems or unwanted touches to your body)

No. We talk about them as “private parts; the parts of your body covered by a bathing suit.”

We do not provide open viewing access to the videos used in our lessons for multiple reasons. The vignettes viewed in 3rd and 4th grade were designed intentionally to be viewed within the context of the body safety lesson and KHR Programming. When viewed in isolation, without background knowledge, the vignettes may be unclear and could present more questions and confusion.

That said, we understand the desire to preview video content on this sensitive topic, and believe that if used effectively, the vignettes can serve as a shared learning resource, providing families with an additional springboard for important conversations at home.

If you are interested in previewing the videos that will be shown, please reach out to our Director, Julie Leeson at least one week prior to your child’s presentation to set up a time for us to meet virtually or in person to watch the videos together.

KHR addresses many of the same body safety concepts and language in all grades (K-4th). The lessons differ by grade level as we vary teaching methods, strategies, and materials, to ensure the content is presented in a developmentally appropriate way. All grade level lessons are designed to be engaging, positive, and empowering. 

Lessons range in duration:

• Kindergarten & 1st Grade - 30 minutes 

• 2nd Grade - 45 minutes

• 3rd & 4th Grade - 1 hour

The initial classroom lessons are a big part of the program, however, our visits are only one component. KHR Educators leave behind resources for classroom teachers to complete 3 follow up mini-lessons with their students to reinforce the main topics presented. Each mini lesson has a parent/caregiver component as well, to assist parents with follow up conversations.

While we strongly believe in the importance and value of providing children with body safety education, we also believe that the responsibility of abuse prevention should never be placed on children alone. Child Sexual Abuse is a community epidemic and requires a community-based solution. Prevention is only successful when there are Safe Adults children can turn to, who are educated and informed on their role. KHR provides parents/caregivers and school staff with information, training opportunities, and resources to continue and normalize conversation surrounding body safety.  If you are interested in taking a training, reach out to Julie Leeson, Prevention and Community Outreach Director, at jleeson@cac-ottawa.org or 616-393-6123 for more information.

We partner with all 11 public school districts in Ottawa County, along with several private and charter schools. We are currently in 97% of the schools in Ottawa County. Throughout the 2023-2024 school year, KHR educated over 19,000 children in grades K-4.

We welcome parents to observe their child's presentation. If you would like to attend the presentation with your child, please contact the school in order to align with their visitor policies.