As students across the St. Louis region head back to the classroom, the JFS Child Abuse Prevention Program (CAPP) team is heading back to school, too. Throughout the school year, CAPP partners with more than 150 schools to give children the knowledge, language and confidence they need to help keep themselves safe.
Through age-appropriate classroom presentations, CAPP teaches important lessons about body safety, personal boundaries, recognizing unsafe situations and knowing when and how to speak up. Students learn that they have the right to feel safe and that trusted adults are there to listen and help when something doesn’t feel right.
CAPP’s work also extends beyond the classroom. The team provides resources and education for parents, caregivers, teachers and other professionals, helping adults recognize warning signs of abuse, respond appropriately when a child shares a concern and create environments where children feel comfortable asking for help. As technology continues to play a larger role in young people’s lives, CAPP also helps families and students better understand internet and online safety.
Back-to-school season is an especially important time for this work. Children are meeting new teachers, coaches and classmates, participating in activities and spending more time online and away from home. Giving them practical safety skills early in the school year can help establish a foundation they can use throughout the year and beyond.
The CAPP team is excited to reconnect with returning school partners, meet new students and families and continue building safer, more informed communities. Their work is an important reminder that child abuse prevention is not a single lesson—it is an ongoing conversation among children and the adults who care for them.
We wish the CAPP team, our school partners and students throughout the community a safe and successful school year!