Originally published in The Reporter on July 31, 2014 By Richard Bammer.
Both survivors of child sexual abuse, two Vacaville women will propose child sexual abuse prevention training for area residents on Aug. 28, it has been announced.
Their free presentation, which is expected to attract city and county leaders, educators, and law enforcement officials, among others, will be 1 to 3 p.m. at the Solano County Events Center, 610 Texas St., Fairfield.
“We’re not selling this training — we’re just advocating it,” said Christina Baird, author of “How Far Will I Run” and a member of the Vacaville’s Community Services Commission. “If you have your own training, that’s fine.”
She said the training is for any person or organization that interacts with children.
“We’re just hoping for the awareness,” she said, alluding to her co-presenter, Hazel Payne, a former Miss Vacaville.
In a written statement, Baird, who owns a public relations and marketing company, said, “Our goal is to educate these adults on how to implement effective prevention policies, recognize the signs of sexual abuse in children and respond responsibly if abuse occurs.”
She said that, over the years, the frequency of child abuse, as reported, has declined, from one in four children in 1984 to one in 10 in more recent times.
