Crittenton Staff Selected as Keynote Speaker at Thirty-Third District’s PTA Conference
February 3, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Crittenton Services for Children and Families
Martha Jasso, Director of Communications
(714) 680-6008
DOWNEY, Calif. – Crittenton Services for Children and Families (CSCF) is proud to announce that Dr. Barbara Hernandez, Vice President of Community Based Services, for CSCF, is an invited keynote speaker presenting on the topic of commercially sexually exploited children at the Thirty-Third District PTA’s Mid-Winter Conference on February 6, 2014.
Art decoration created by agency staff for Crittenton’s Anti-Human Trafficking Event 2014.
The annual gathering will be taking place at the Rio Hondo Event Center in Downey, Calif. with a confirmed 250 conference attendees that include parent advocates and local educational leaders. This year’s registration number is at an all time high and the event has completely sold out.
“It’s critical that civic and community leaders be educated on the realities of sex trafficking, especially in California, where the issue is pervasive,” said Stefanie Benvenuto, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, CSCF. “We are certainly moved by the sincere interest of our community partners throughout Southern California to help educate the general public on this child welfare issue. Our hope is that those in attendance take the collective stories of our young survivors, and amplify them in a way that will ensure that our child welfare and juvenile justice systems are responding appropriately and sufficiently to end sex trafficking in our communities.”
Dr. Hernandez was selected as this year’s keynote speaker based on her knowledge and vast experience in the delivery of treatment options for children that have been subjected to complex traumas, including, commercial sexual exploitation. In addition, Hernandez’s duties also include sharing her subject matter expertise and contributing to the California Statewide Commercially Sexually Exploited Children Action Group.
In recent months, the Thirty-Third District PTA and collaborative partner the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force has made concerted efforts to bring more awareness on the real danger of commercial sexual exploitation of children within their constituency groups.
“PTA prides itself on being on the cutting edge of legislation to protect all children. The subject of sex trafficking of minors has garnered national attention recently, and the Thirty-Third District PTA would like to do whatever we can to help solve this problem,” said Sondi Kroeger Foley, Mid-Winter Conference Chairperson.
In response to the Thirty-Third District PTA’s advocacy on this issue CSCF will take this opportunity to recognize the Thirty-Third District PTA as an official community partner though CSCF’s partnership pledge program. CSCF has emerged at the forefront in treating young victims of sex trafficking in Southern California, and is enthusiastic on calling the Thirty-Third District PTA as a partner in the fight against human trafficking.
The Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force will also receive distinction from CSCF at this conference for being proponents of increased intervention campaigns, advocates for victim services, and aftercare needs for vulnerable youth in the South Bay area.
The Thirty-Third District PTA’s region encompasses nearly 25 PTA Councils from San Gabriel Valley, the South Bay, South Los Angeles, and South East Los Angeles County areas.
This annual Mid-Winter Conference is one of two district wide association meetings with an event program that includes an overview of the realities of human trafficking within Los Angeles County, and a discussion of the California State PTA Convention Report.
The community is encouraged to contact CSCF’s Public Policy and Advocacy Department at policy@crittentonsocal.org if more information is needed on opportunities to get involved with CSCF advocacy or grassroots initiatives that directly respond to the fight against human trafficking.
Crittenton Services for Children and Families of Southern California (CSCF) is a non-profit social services agency whose mission is to heal the wounds of abuse and neglect; strengthen families; and help troubled adolescents reach their full potential. Established and incorporated in 1966 Crittenton has a highly trained workforce operating 24 hours a day / 7 days a week providing comprehensive counseling, medical, and other support services to the clients in our care. We provide a full array of residential, in-home, community based, wraparound, mental health, foster care, and adoption services with a service planning area throughout Southern California that covers Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego Counties.
Visit www.crittentonsocal.org to learn more about our programs and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+, and Flickr.
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Topics: Non-Profit, Social Services, Community Based Services, Residential Treatment Services, Youth Shelter Services, Crittenton Grassroots Network, Crittenton Advocacy Initiatives, Civic Engagement, Human Trafficking, Commercial Sexually Exploited Children, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Victim Services, Commercial Sexually Exploited Children Treatment Program, Modern Day Slavery
Geography: Los Angeles County, Calif., Downey, Calif., Orange County Calif., Fullerton, Calif.