Message Regarding Our COVID-19 Policies

Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center is committed to being a safe, helpful, and trustworthy resource, available to everyone who needs our services and support. Due to COVID-19, we are observing federal and local government public health protection guidelines. Upon arrival, visitors will complete a COVID-19 screening (questions and temperature check) and may be asked to wear a mask. If you have recently had COVID-19, you must wear a mask on the premises for the full 10 days from the date of exposure or infection, consistent with DC Health Department and CDC guidance.

To report suspected child abuse in the District of Columbia call 1-202-671-SAFE(7233)
To report suspected internet crimes against children, contact report.cybertip.org

Safe Shores

To report suspected child abuse / Para reportar sospechas de abuso:

1-202-671-SAFE (7233)

Intentional Parenting: A Conversation with Dr. Stacey Patton and Destiny Bennett

The terms “gentle parenting” and “intentional parenting” are trending these days. But what do these terms even mean? What does this kind of parenting look like in practice?  Does research support its effectiveness? And why does all this matter—especially for children and families of color?

During Child Abuse Prevention Month, Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center had the privilege of hosting two experts, Dr. Stacey Patton and Destiny Bennett, to discuss these questions and more during a powerful conversation on gentle and intentional parenting.

If you weren’t able to watch this educational and enlightening conversation when it was live, the full video recording has now been released and you can watch it below.

During this webinar, you will learn:

  • What the terms gentle and intentional parenting mean and examples of what they look like in practice.
  • How implementing gentle parenting can be an ongoing process for caregivers.
  • What research says about the psychological and physiological impacts of various types of parenting on children, including intentional parenting.  
  • And much more!
For Closed captioning:

To turn on closed captioning, click the CC in the bottom toolbar of the video player. A red line underneath this button means that closed captioning is toggled on and will show up when the video plays.

About the Speakers


Dr. Stacey Patton

Child Advocate | @DrStaceyPatton

Dr. Stacey Patton is an adoptee, child abuse survivor, and former foster youth turned award-winning journalist, author, professor and nationally recognized child advocate.  Her writings on education, race, and child welfare issues have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, BBC News, TheGrio, NewsOne and other outlets.  She has appeared on CNN, ABC News, MSNBC, Fox News, Al Jazeera and Democracy Now.  She is the author of That Mean Old Yesterday — A Memoir, “Spare the Kids: Why Whupping Children Won’t Save Black America, and the forthcoming Strung Up: The Lynching of Black Children in Jim Crow America.  She is the creator of  Spare the Kids, an online portal designed to teach about the harms of hitting children.  She is also the developer of a forthcoming 3D medical animation app called “When You Hit Me.”  Dr. Patton is the recipient of the 2023 Distinguished Contribution to Child Advocacy Award from the American Psychological Association.


Destiny Bennett

Parenting Expert | @TheyCallMeMamaBennett

Destiny Bennett is an indigenous Southern California native, mother of three boys and wife of 10 years. As a multi-viral digital creator, Destiny has shared her life-based teachings on parenting and marriage and overcoming  generational trauma as it relates to the two. Destiny is a best-selling author and homeschool advocate with a heart for community and a mission to inspire and heal. She is the author of two books, including Revised not Repeated: A Brown Mom’s Guide To Breaking Generational Curses In Parenting and her first children’s book Boundaries Are for Everyone.

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