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/

In this episode, we meet Maddie.  Beginning when she was 11, Maddie was abused by a close family member. At the time, she didn't know it was wrong.  She walks us through confronting her abuser, and eventually mustering up the courage to tell the rest of her family.

Maddie explains why she found the specialized care at Child Advocacy Centers to be so helpful.  Now 18 years old, Maddie volunteers at CARE House.  We hear from her mom, Susan, who serves on the organization's board.  Both explain why they feel it's important to help 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/

Karen McDonald, Oakland County Michigan's prosecutor, has been on the front lines fighting child abuse for years. Prior to her current role, she's been an assistant prosecutor, family court judge, and worked in private practice.

In our conversation, Prosecutor McDonald gives us real world examples of the valuable partnership between her office and the County's Child Advocacy center, or CAC - Care House of Oakland County.  We also discuss the value of therapy dogs, what it takes to prosecute disturbing crimes against kids, and why McDonald's own mother's story has inspired the work she's now doing.

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/

Child abuse happens everywhere.  It happens to girls, and it also happens to boys. Today we introduce you to Ben. Just a warning - his story can be hard to hear.

When Ben's mother remarried, her new husband began abusing Ben when he was just 7 years old. The abuse was psychological, and turned physical on many occasions.   Ben shares what it was like to go into "survival mode" as a child, and how that has affected him well into adulthood.

Through a close relationship with a child in his life (his nephew), and his volunteer work at CARE House of Oakland County, Ben has come to terms with his abuse, and offers some powerful advice for 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/

It’s a subject that very few of us are willing to talk about. But we all should.

One in ten kids will be abused before they turn 18.

Child abuse happens everywhere. It affects kids in every school, in every neighborhood, in every town, everywhere in the country.

But unless we talk about it, it can never be treated and never be prevented. So we’re going to talk about it.

CARE House of Oakland County presents the podcast named for a simple fact – It Shouldn’t Hurt To Be A Child.

Oakland County, Michigan is like the places where a quarter of Americans live. It’s The Suburbs. CARE House is the nonprofit children’s advocacy center dedicated to treating and preventing abuse. 

We take you inside the organization’s work to learn how abuse doesn’t have to define a life and how a community can rally behind a cause to help keep kids safe.

Only through conversation can be begin to address this problem and help our kids.

It Shouldn’t Hurt To Be A Child.

((Made possible by the generous support of Sheryl Hauk))

For more on CARE House of Oakland County, visit https://carehouse.org/