🛑 Summer Safety Alert: Predators Count on Your Distractions—Don’t Let Them

Yes, it’s summer again.

And while many of us are focused on camps, cookouts, rest, and routine changes—some people are focused on your children.
I’m talking about predators—those who harm children.
This is their season.
I know. I’ve seen it. Up close.

When school lets out, children scatter:

• Visiting relatives

• Bouncing between shared custody homes

• Joining summer programs and church groups

• Hanging out with friends of friends

And while most families are scrambling to figure out coverage and childcare, predators are quietly making their moves.

🚨 Real Talk, Real Risks

• “Mama, can I go play with Jane?”
  But Jane is just visiting for the summer.
  And Jane lives with a convicted sex offender.

• “Dad, can I go over to Mark’s?”
  Mark seems like a regular teenager.
  But Mark has a history. He’s on the sex offender registry.

• “Grandma, can I go to summer camp?”
  Grandma signs her grandchild up for a free program at the church.
  She trusts the man running it. She shouldn’t.
  He’s a sex offender, hiding behind his reputation and her trust.

🧭 Summer Rule #1: Know Where They’re Going—and Who’s There

When I speak with parents and guardians, many proudly say:
“Oh yes, I check the sex offender registry all the time!”
But are you checking:

• The neighborhood your child visits this weekend?

• The address of that aunt’s friend where they’ll sleep over?

• The church campgrounds in a different county?

Checking your home zip code isn’t enough anymore.

Look up the registered offenders in every location your child may visit—even if it’s just for a day.

🔍 Places You Must Double-Check This Summer:

1. Friends’ Homes (Yes, even brief visits!)

Remember when we were kids? We’d twist the story:

“Can I go to Jocelyn’s stepdad’s sister’s house? Just to play Atari.”

Translation: “I’m going somewhere random and I hope you don’t ask questions.”

Ask questions. Look it up.
Short visit = full safety check.

2. Relatives (Shared custody, grandparents, family friends)

Not every adult is used to having children around full-time.
Not every adult knows what to look out for.

Is your co-parent, aunt, or grandparent aware of the local offender registry?
Do they know how to spot grooming behaviors?

3. Organized Summer Activities

Day camps. Band camps. Church retreats. Rec leagues. Vacation Bible School.

New settings = new adults.
Do you really know who’s running that camp?
Is the staff background-checked?
Are your kids alone with anyone? Even briefly?

Reminder: Just because it’s run by a church or school doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Predators go where the access is easy and the trust is blind.

4. Popular Public Hangouts

• Playgrounds

• Basketball courts

• Swimming pools

• The mall

• The lake

Predators know where kids will be this summer.
Are you paying as much attention as they are?

⚠️ Will This Guarantee 100% Safety?

No.
But neither did anything for Megan Kanka’s mother, who had no idea she was living near three sex offenders.
Megan never made it to her eighth birthday.

You deserve to know who’s living nearby. Your children deserve the chance to live, grow, and come home safe.

💡 Please Remember This:

Most child sexual abuse happens at the hands of someone the child already “knows.”
But children consider someone “known” after just one or two interactions.
That’s all it takes to lower their guard.
That’s all it takes to set the trap.

✅ Action Steps You Can Take Today:

1. Check every zip code, address, or program your child will spend time at this summer.

2. Educate anyone else helping with childcare—grandparents, older siblings, co-parents.

3. Have open, shame-free conversations with your children about:

   • Body safety

   • Secrets

   • What to do when something feels off

4. Visit our Free Resources page.
   It includes a Sexual Violence Prevention Resource List—with links to official sex offender registries.

🔥 Final Word

We aren’t raising our children to live in fear.
We’re raising them to live informed, protected, and powerful.
But that starts with us being informed, aware, and unafraid to speak the truth.

Because what you don’t know can hurt them.
But what you’re willing to learn and act on—can save a life.

🪷
Share if you feel safe and ready—your voice might be the lifeline someone else needs.
And if you do share, remember to cite the messenger. Words carry legacy.
[rosaschildren.com] | [wesurviveabuse.com] | [survivoraffirmations.com]