Today, we meet Rio, a mom of an 11 year old daughter.  Rio walks us through how an online predator found her daughter Sophia, befriended her, and manipulated her.   Sofia thought she was in a relationship with a girl her own age, not an adult man.  Fortunately, Rio and her husband found out what was happening before the predator could find a way to meet Sophia in person.  

CARE House, the local child advocacy center, provided specialized counseling for both Sophia and her parents, as they worked through the trauma of what happened.   This episode is a few minutes longer than the others in this series, but contains important information for parents whose kids are online.

The "It Shouldn't Hurt To Be a Child" Podcast is narrated by Karen Newman, and is made possible thanks to the generous support of Sheryl Hauk.

Resources:
CARE House of Oakland County Website: https://www.carehouse.org/

CARE House Phone Number: 248.332.7173

Find a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Near You: https://nationalcac.org/

In this episode, we meet Hannah.  When she was in high school, Hannah survived a sexual assault.  High school is a particularly difficult time to suffer abuse, and Hannah explains why.

Hannah came to CARE House of Oakland County, where she received the specialized attention and support she needed on her journey.  She's now a college student, volunteering at CARE House. After graduation, she plans to have a career in therapy, helping other survivors.

The "It Shouldn't Hurt To Be a Child" Podcast is narrated by Karen Newman, and is made possible thanks to the generous support of Sheryl Hauk.

Resources:
CARE House of Oakland County Website: https://www.carehouse.org/

CARE House Phone Number: 248.332.7173

Find a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Near You: https://nationalcac.org/

Lisa is a successful business professional, and she shares her story with us.  She traveled frequently for work, and employed a babysitter who, in essence, became part of the family.  The babysitter eventually got into a serious relationship, and her boyfriend was also welcomed in to Lisa's home.  But eventually, his behavior crossed a line.

Lisa makes several important points in this interview.  Abuse in any form can be extremely traumatic for a child, and it happens everywhere - regardless of a family's socioeconomic status.  And when a child survives abuse, the specially trained counselors at Child Advocacy Centers, like CARE House of Oakland County, can make a big difference.

In this candid conversation, Lisa reflects on her and her daughter's journey, what she's learned, and why she's such a vocal evangelist for CARE House.

The "It Shouldn't Hurt To Be a Child" Podcast is narrated by Karen Newman, and is made possible thanks to the generous support of Sheryl Hauk.

Resources:
CARE House of Oakland County Website: https://www.carehouse.org/

CARE House Phone Number: 248.332.7173

Find a Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Near You: https://nationalcac.org/