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Group to use $10,000 grant to combat child sexual abuse

BLUE BELL The Montgomery County child advocacy agency plans to use a $10,000 grant to train domestic violence medical advocates and emergency room personnel to spot signs of child sexual abuse.

BLUE BELL The Montgomery County child advocacy agency plans to use a $10,000 grant to train domestic violence medical advocates and emergency room personnel to spot signs of child sexual abuse.

On Thursday, Mission Kids, a nonprofit group that makes the process of investigating child sexual-abuse allegations easier for youngsters, will celebrate a $10,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation, Mission Kids said in a statement.

Using a program called Darkness to Light, the nonprofit already trains some professionals who might interact with children to identify the emotional and behavioral signs of sexual abuse. The Verizon grant will allow Mission Kids to reach medical advocates from the Women's Center of Montgomery County, a domestic violence agency, who are assigned to work in emergency rooms, said Abbie R. Newman, executive director of Mission Kids, on Tuesday.

"The only way to stop child abuse and prevent it is to really teach adults about what child sex-abuse is, what to look for, its unfortunate prevalence in our society, and the long-term effects of child sexual abuse that is not treated," she said.

- Carolyn Davis