Stop Child Abuse Now of Northern Virginia (SCANVA)

Goal: $5,000.00

Specific Need

YOUR DONATION AT WORK! Your generosity will help us....

Coach at-risk families to create safe, stable, and nurturing homes that are free of abuse
Support a school’s (or other youth-serving organization’s) comprehensive abuse prevention programming to keep children safe, everywhere they are.
Fund SCAN’s work at the state level guiding the creation of statewide child protection policies and support SCAN’s partnerships with academic institutions to stay on the leading-edge of child abuse prevention and intervention
Support local health and human professionals in building awareness about the long-term impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences and building programs and policies to mitigate the harm and impact of abuse.
Surround children with professionals who are trained to respond to abuse in a way that protects the child from further harm and prevents re-traumatization
Contribute to a struggling family’s groceries, allowing them to attend parenting classes to decrease their use of corporal punishment and increase their empathy and age-appropriate expectations of their children.

Mission

Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) of Northern Virginia is the only organization focused solely on preventing child abuse and neglect in Northern Virginia.

As a survivor-led team of child advocates, we put children at the center of everything we do. For 35 years, SCAN has been committed to protecting children from abuse in Northern Virginia through education, advocacy, and community engagement.

All of SCAN’s work is grounded in research and informed by survivors with lived experience. SCAN’s Vision is a community where everyone takes responsibility for keeping children safe from abuse in all the places they live, learn, work, and play.

Profile

SCAN is hard at work in Loudoun County to prevent child abuse and mitigate trauma. SCAN has partnered with Loudoun County Health and Human Services to work with child-serving professionals and organizations to prevent child abuse in schools, religious institutions, youth groups, and healthcare settings, ensuring that children are kept safe everywhere they are. SCAN also leads the Loudoun County Trauma-Informed Community Network (TICN), a group of 70+ Loudoun County professionals dedicated to building awareness about the long-term impact of adverse childhood experiences and building programs and policies to mitigate the impact of trauma and abuse. Additionally, SCAN collaborates with Loudoun County Public Schools to deliver family-strengthening courses and 1:1 coaching to at-risk groups, such as teenage moms and other vulnerable caregivers.

The rates of child sexual abuse and severe physical abuse have continued to grow as the lasting effects of the pandemic continue to negatively impact vulnerable families in Loudoun County. The long-term consequences of isolation, socio-economic instability, and lack of community resources have placed stress on struggling families and subjected children to unsafe living situations. Children need our help now more than ever.

Child abuse is a devastating public health issue. One in four children will experience abuse in their lifetime, and five die per day as a result. Last year, over 3,500 suspected child abuse referrals were made to authorities in Loudoun County. Keeping children safe from abuse has long-lasting and generational positive impacts. When children are safe from abuse, they are more likely to maintain steady housing, succeed academically, remain employed, experience better physical and mental health, live longer, and be less likely to engage in criminal activity.