Survivors of Homicide: Informational Guide

Back to School Readiness for Parents, Caregivers and Students

The role of the educational system in the lives of our children is critical to their growth and development, now and for generations to come. Beyond the classroom, a supportive adult in the role of a mentor, tutor, or coach can provide the guidance a child needs to reach his/her potential and overcome obstacles. While most people who choose to interact with our children are trustworthy, events at Penn State have demonstrated that not everyone has the best interests of our children close to their hearts.

It is vital that the school system and the individual parents and caregivers take the time to look into the background of every adult offering to spend time in any capacity with children. Schools can do Internet searches and utilize the NYSED database to examine teacher certification status. Using the technology that is available to everyone, responsible adults can utilize the various search engines such as Google and Yahoo and social media such as Facebook and Twitter. While everyone can check the sex offender registries, the registries only include persons who have been convicted by the legal system. The absence of an individual on the registries does not necessarily mean that our children are safe in that individual's presence.

Join in our commitment as a community
to do everything we can to keep our children safe.

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