The Blue Ribbon Champion for Safe Kids Award is presented to individuals who are highly dedicated to protecting children from abuse.

Harrisburg, Pa.– Pa Family Support Alliance (PFSA), the state’s leader in child abuse prevention, today awarded Crystal Long their Blue Ribbon Champion for Safe Kids Award. This award is presented annually to four individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support and protect Pennsylvania’s children from abuse.

“Thanks to Crystal’s diligent work that is grounded in abuse prevention, many children and families throughout Adams County are protected,” said Angela Liddle, President and CEO of PFSA. “She has a heart for children and works every day to ensure that they, and the adults around them, receive the educational services needed to prevent and stop abuse. She is the embodiment of how community educators truly make a difference in the lives of others.”  

Long is a Forensic Interviewer and the sole Child Abuse Prevention Educator with the Adams County Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) in Gettysburg. She sees her Prevention Educator role as especially important and teaches kids the evidence-based curriculum, Child Safety Matters™, developed by the Monique Burr Foundation. The curriculum highlights five safety rules that empower kids to understand their right to safety, body safety and how to tell someone if they feel unsafe.

During the current school year, Long provided prevention education to 4,544 Adams County school children in grades K-6. As a mom, she says, “I am deeply passionate about prevention education. What I do truly matters as I may be the only person who teaches kids that abuse happens and how to report it. To me, it is critical that I am empowering kids how to recognize the signs of abuse and how to stay safe.”

She recently expanded the CAC’s prevention education outreach with additional programs from the Monique Burr Foundation. This includes Child Safety Matters™ presentations for local preschools and daycares. In addition, she piloted the Mental Health Matters program this school year. This program addresses mental and emotional health, as well as substance use and abuse. Mental Health Matters uses consistent language to align with the Child Safety Matters™ program to further educate and empower students.

In honor of this accomplishment, PFSA and Secretary Valerie Arkoosh of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services recognized Long in front of a packed audience of lawmakers, members of the media, child advocates, and students in the Capitol Rotunda. Pictures and short b-roll clips from today’s ceremony can be found here.

PFSA was joined by Secretary Arkoosh, DHS Deputy Secretary Laval Miller-Wilson and local and state elected officials during today’s ceremony, which kicks off National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Each year, PFSA hosts activities and events throughout the Commonwealth to increase awareness about the need for individuals to learn about the warning signs of abuse and neglect.

According to the 2022 Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ Annual Child Protective Services Report, there were 4,992 substantiated cases of child abuse, 60 substantiated fatalities, and 138 substantiated near fatalities.

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About Pa Family Support Alliance 

Pa Family Support Alliance prevents child abuse and protects children from harm by helping parents learn positive parenting techniques, educating professionals and volunteers who work with children to recognize and report child abuse, and helping community members learn how they can play a positive role in keeping children safe. To learn more about our programs, schedule a training, or donate, please visit pafsa.org, or call 800-448-4906.