Photo by James Short.
Ambler YMCA hosts evening of helpful tips for parents and children surfing the web
Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center is a nonprofit that has been working for child victims of abuse since 2006. On Wednesday evening, the organization partnered with Pennsylvania House Rep. Liz Hanbidge in order to continue to keep Montgomery County children safe with a Family Online Safety Night. Hosted at the Ambler YMCA, the organization aimed to inform parents and children about ways to keep area youth safe while working online.
As kids head back to school, ChildLine, a mandated state-wide child protective service program designed to handle child abuse referrals, reports that the reports that suspected abuse spikes in September. The goal of the presentation was to equip both parents and children with “the knowledge they need to navigate” online spaces safely and confidently.
Hanbidge said that such evenings carry an important message she hopes all constituents can learn and remember for the long-haul.
“As a child advocate, I’ve often had to step in after something bad has happened,” she said. “But by empowering families with the knowledge and tools they need, we have the chance to prevent those bad things from happening in the first place.”
By James Short Associate Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia YMCA Tina Scott, echoed Hanbidge on the event’s goals, noting that the YMCA’s involvement is part of a broader commitment to community well-being.
“We believe in strengthening the community, and that starts with ensuring that our children are safe both online and offline,” said Scott. “This event was a wonderful example of how we can work together to make that happen.”
Michelle McDyre, the director of Prevention Education at Mission Kids, emphasized the lasting impact of the event’s lessons.
“Our goal is to foster a generation of children who are not only aware of the dangers they may face online but are also equipped with the skills to navigate those dangers safely,” said McDyre. “By educating both parents and children, we’re building a community where safety and open communication are prioritized, both on and offline.”
By James Short The Lower Gwynedd Police Officer Jamie Sharkey, of the township’s community response unit, also gave a helping hand to share the evening’s message. Families enjoyed pizza and juice as they learned in sessions both together as a unit and as parents separated from children for unique internet safety lessons.
Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center of Montgomery County is located at 180 W. Germantown Pike, Suite 1, in East Norriton. For more information about Mission Kids and its programs, please visit www.missionkidscac.org or call 484-687-2990.
