Powerful Parents: Standing Up for Children
A Six-Session Online Workshop for Parents and Caring Adults
Every parent wants to believe they would know what to do if their child was in danger. The truth is most of us have never been given the tools to respond to difficult situations with confidence.
Child sexual abuse is a subject no one wants to talk about, yet silence leaves children unprotected. The Powerful Parents workshop breaks that silence by giving you practical strategies to recognize risks, strengthen your child’s boundaries, and know how to act if something feels wrong.
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This is not just another parenting class. It is a hands-on, interactive experience that combines research, prevention strategies, and play-based examples that bring the learning to life. Over six sessions you will connect with other parents, practice real scenarios, and leave with skills you can put into action immediately.
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Powerful Parents: Standing Up for Children is for every parent, grandparent, foster parent, and caring adult who wants to make childhood safer. Together we can change the culture of silence and teach our children that their voices matter and their bodies are their own.
Why This Workshop Matters
Because prevention
is possible.
The ACE study and decades of research show that childhood trauma has life-long effects, but strong, informed adults can interrupt the cycle.
Because kids cannot
do this alone.
Children need parents and caring adults to model healthy boundaries, speak up in uncomfortable situations, and protect their autonomy.
Because you are the
best line of defense.
The workshop equips you with language, confidence, and community support to stand up for children, including your own.
Why Invest the Time and Money?
You cannot put a price on your child’s safety. This workshop saves parents hours of worry and second-guessing by giving you direct answers, tested tools, and a supportive learning community.
Instead of Googling late at night or wondering if you are overreacting, you will know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it with calm authority. The cost of inaction is too high. The cost of prevention is a few hours of your time, a willingness to learn, and the courage to show up for your child.
What You Will Gain
Clear understanding of
risk and safety.
Learn how abuse happens, what grooming looks like, and how to identify unsafe dynamics in the places children spend time.
Tools for
hard conversations.
Walk away with scripts, activities, and real-world examples to talk with kids and other adults about boundaries, consent, and safety.
Confidence
in the moment.
Practice bystander interventions so you know exactly what to say and do when something feels off.
Support for
your parenting journey.
Build community with other parents who share your commitment to raising children in safe, respectful environments.
The Six Sessions
1
Foundations of Prevention
Naming fears, grounding in research, and defining boundaries.
2
Bystander Intervention
Role-plays and strategies for stepping in with confidence.
4
Bodily Autonomy
Teaching children that their voice and choices matter.
5
Health Sexuality and Online Safety
Age-appropriate conversations that build resilience.
3
Grooming Awareness
How to recognize and disrupt patterns of abuse.
6
Partnering for Prevention
Extending protection into schools, sports, faith communities, and beyond.
Workshop Details
Time: Fridays 9:30am-12pm PST / 12:30am-3pm EST (Check your time zone here!)
Dates: January 9nd, 2026 - February 13th, 2026
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Where: Online via zoom
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Cost: $300 (only $50/session!)
Sign Up Form
Meet Your Facilitators
About Jen​​
Jennifer Sims is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Registered Play Therapist™ with nearly 20 years of experience supporting children and families. Known for her engaging, experiential teaching style, she helps parents and professionals turn challenging skills into approachable, hands-on learning.
Jen has advanced training in Child-Centered Play Therapy, Filial Therapy, Gestalt Play Therapy, EMDR for children, and AutPlay. She regularly develops and presents trainings
on non-directive play therapy and related topics, and will be featured at the Sixth Annual Innovative Child Therapy Symposium in 2025.
Her background includes years as a School-Based Mental Health Specialist and Prevention Education Trainer, where she worked directly with children, parents, and educators to recognize risks and strengthen protective factors against abuse. Her deep experience in both prevention and play-based therapy makes her uniquely equipped to guide parents through the real-world challenges addressed in the Powerful Parents workshop.
About Julie​​
Julie Evans is a social worker and founder of Silver Moon Strategies with over 30 years of experience in trauma-informed prevention, training, and leadership. She is known for her dynamic, down-to-earth facilitation style that helps participants translate research and theory into real-world action.
Julie has trained and consulted with state and national coalitions on child safety, violence prevention, and healthy relationship education, developing practical tools used by
schools, nonprofits, and advocacy programs across the country. A passionate educator, she teaches in the University of Pittsburgh’s Social Work programs, leads workshops for Pennsylvania Women Work, and teaches Grant Writing for Non-Profits at LaRoche University.
Her approach to the Powerful Parents workshop is grounded in decades of experience helping professionals and families build the skills and confidence to respond effectively when children are at risk—breaking silence through knowledge, practice, and connection.