Adult Programs.

Nurturing Healthy Sexual Development

Learn how to support open, age-appropriate conversations with children and respond confidently to questions and behaviors related to sexuality. This training empowers adults to nurture healthy sexual development in children—an essential part of preventing child sexual abuse and reducing the risk of problematic sexual behavior.

Participants will learn how to:

• Recognize healthy sexual development across childhood stages

• Identify and respond to typical and concerning sexual behaviors

• Provide accurate, supportive answers to children’s questions

• Promote body safety and positive messages around sexuality

This training is ideal for:

• Infant through after-school educators

• Social workers, youth mentors, and volunteers

• Parents, caregivers, grandparents, and kinship caregivers

• Coaches, substitute teachers, and other youth-serving professionals

Credit & Certification:

• Qualifies for Afterschool and Advanced Specialized Care hours in BFIS

• Eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits for Vermont professionals in select fields

Overcoming Barriers to Protecting Children

Many adults and communities are deeply committed to preventing child sexual abuse—but real-world relationships and social dynamics can make it difficult to take action. This training explores the common barriers adults face when addressing concerning behaviors and offers concrete strategies for creating safe, protective environments for children.

Participants will learn how to:

• Recognize and navigate barriers to protecting children

• Support community-wide prevention efforts through a safety-supporting lens

• Respond thoughtfully when relationships complicate protective actions

This training is ideal for:

• Infant through after-school educators

• Social workers, mentors, and volunteers

• Parents, caregivers, grandparents, and foster or kinship caregivers

• Coaches, substitute teachers, and other professionals who work with youth

Credit & Certification:

• Qualifies for Afterschool and Advanced Specialized Care hours in BFIS

• Eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits for Vermont professionals in select fields

TECHNICOOL: Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet

Children and teens face a growing range of digital risks—including exposure to online pornography, grooming, and sexting. This training equips adults with the knowledge and tools to help children safely navigate the online world and respond effectively to concerning digital behaviors.

Participants will learn how to:

• Identify digital risks such as sexting, online grooming, and exposure to harmful content

• Develop strategies to keep youth safe in online environments

• Support children who may be engaging in or affected by unsafe digital behaviors

This training is ideal for:

• Infant through after-school educators

• Social workers, youth mentors, and volunteers

• Parents, caregivers, grandparents, and kinship caregivers

• Coaches, substitute teachers, and professionals working with children

Credit & Certification:

• Qualifies for Afterschool and Advanced Specialized Care hours in BFIS

• Eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits for Vermont professionals in select fields

Note on language:
The term child pornography is misleading and outdated. The correct term is child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which more accurately reflects the reality that such material documents acts of sexual violence against children.

Note:
For a training focused on older youth, we recommend Keeping Adolescent Youth Safe on the Internet.

Brain Development and Learning Consent

Children build the foundation for healthy relationships early in life—and learning to understand and respect others’ feelings about touch is key. This training introduces the concept of empathy-based consent and explores how early brain development plays a crucial role in building this lifelong skill.

Participants will learn how to:

• Understand the building blocks of empathy-based consent

• Explore the developmental connection between childhood empathy and respectful adult behavior

• Review brain science findings on when and how empathy is most effectively learned

• Apply practical, primary prevention strategies that begin in early childhood

This training is ideal for:

• Professionals working with at-risk youth (e.g. residential care staff, therapeutic foster/kinship caregivers)

• Counselors, social workers, early childhood and afterschool educators

• Mentors, substitute teachers, and youth-serving professionals

• Parents, grandparents, and caregivers seeking prevention tools

Credit & Certification:

• Qualifies for Afterschool and Advanced Specialized Care hours in BFIS

• Eligible for Continuing Education (CE) credits for Vermont professionals in select fields

Keeping Adolescent Youth Safe on the Internet

Today’s adolescents are growing up in a world deeply connected to technology. Tweens and teens often navigate online relationships and digital spaces with increasing independence—making it essential for the adults in their lives to be informed and prepared.

This training provides a deeper understanding of the digital risks youth face, including online grooming, in-person grooming facilitated by digital communication, sexting, and exposure to pornography. It also addresses the legal implications of both consensual and non-consensual sexting among minors.

Participants will learn how to:

• Identify risks to children and youth in the digital environment, including online grooming, digitally facilitated in-person grooming, sexting, and online pornography

• Implement protective factors to reduce online risks

• Develop and implement organizational policies that support digital safety

• Respond to concerning digital behaviors in adolescents

• Support youth experiencing online exploitation or unwanted digital interactions

• Access resources for removing harmful content from the internet

This training is ideal for:

• Educators

• Afterschool professionals

• Caregivers of adolescents and teens

Credit & Certification:

• Qualifies for Afterschool and Advanced Specialized Care hours in BFIS

• Vermont professionals in select fields may be eligible to earn 2 Continuing Education (CE) credits

Note:
If you’re looking for a training geared toward younger children, we recommend TECHNICOOL: Keeping Kids Safe on the Internet.

Understand, Recognize, and Respond to Grooming Behaviors

As caring adults, it’s our responsibility to help create environments where youth feel supported, safe, and empowered. This training focuses on how grooming behaviors can unfold over time—and how to intervene early to prevent harm.

Participants will learn how to:

• Distinguish between healthy adult-child interactions and boundary violations or pre-offending behaviors

• Build the confidence and skills to intervene when concerns arise—at home, in the community, or within youth-serving organizations

• Develop and implement proactive organizational policies that support safe environments

• Identify key safety indicators in organizational handbooks and volunteer guidelines

This training is ideal for:

• Educators, paraprofessionals, and special education staff

• Social workers, healthcare and home health professionals

• Residential care providers, mentors, and volunteers

• Coaches, parents, caregivers, grandparents, and substitute or kinship caregivers

Credit & Certification:

• Qualifies for Afterschool and Advanced Specialized Care hours in BFIS

Understanding and Responding to the Sexual Behaviors of Children

Adults play a vital role in supporting healthy sexual development and preventing harm among prepubescent children. This training equips professionals and caregivers with the knowledge and tools to respond effectively to a range of sexual behaviors in childhood.

Participants will learn how to:

• Distinguish between developmentally expected, problematic, and abusive sexual behaviors in children

• Support healthy development while preventing problematic or harmful behaviors

• Intervene early to redirect repeated harmful behaviors in ways that are safe, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed

• Keep children safe—from others and from themselves—while encouraging positive development

This training is ideal for:

• Residential care staff and therapeutic caregivers

• Educators, early childhood professionals, and afterschool staff

• Counselors, social workers, mentors, and volunteers

• Parents, grandparents, and kinship/substitute caregivers

Program Background:
This content includes guidance developed at the Kempe Center for the Prevention & Treatment of Child Abuse & Neglect, with contributions from Gail Ryan, MA, Director of the Kempe Perpetration Prevention Program, and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Credit & Certification:

• Qualifies for Afterschool and Advanced Specialized Care hours in BFIS

• Vermont professionals in select fields may earn Continuing Education (CE) credits

Understanding and Responding to the Sexual Behaviors of Adolescents

Adults play a vital role in supporting healthy sexual development and preventing harm among prepubescent children. This training equips professionals and caregivers with the knowledge and tools to respond effectively to a range of sexual behaviors in childhood.

Participants will learn how to:

• Distinguish between developmentally expected, problematic, and abusive sexual behaviors in children

• Support healthy development while preventing problematic or harmful behaviors

• Intervene early to redirect repeated harmful behaviors in ways that are safe, age-appropriate, and trauma-informed

• Keep children safe—from others and from themselves—while encouraging positive development

This training is ideal for:

• Residential care staff and therapeutic caregivers

• Educators, early childhood professionals, and afterschool staff

• Counselors, social workers, mentors, and volunteers

• Parents, grandparents, and kinship/substitute caregivers

Program Background:
This content includes guidance developed at the Kempe Center for the Prevention & Treatment of Child Abuse & Neglect, with contributions from Gail Ryan, MA, Director of the Kempe Perpetration Prevention Program, and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Credit & Certification:

• Qualifies for Afterschool and Advanced Specialized Care hours in BFIS

• Vermont professionals in select fields may earn Continuing Education (CE) credits