Dando Voz: Giving Voice

The trauma suffered by children who are physically and sexually abused has life-long repercussions. Statistics cannot begin to describe the impact of this kind of assault to a child and their family if there is no opportunity to heal.

We know, given the potential challenges faced by the Spanish-speaking community, that it is extremely important for KCSARC to offer services in Spanish. In 2007, KCSARC developed our Spanish-speaking program, Dando Voz, to better serve victims of sexual assault in the Latino community. This program was created to better understand the unique needs of Spanish-speaking clients, respecting the diversity within the Spanish-speaking community, and recognizing the impact of systemic obstacles. KCSARC is now able to offer all of our services in Spanish. In 2008, 134 new clients participated in the Dando Voz program.

One component of our Dando Voz program is an education group for Spanish-speaking parents. The education group increases parents' understanding and knowledge of sexual abuse, addresses cultural issues around sexual assault in the Latino community, and provides a safe and supportive environment for parents to talk about sexual abuse and have their questions answered by a KCSARC therapist.

"Thank you for everything. We hope to count on more and more of these courses that have been beneficial to us with our children and likewise with other children that are not part of our family."

"Many doubts I had in my mind were clarified, and I learned how to express myself with my children. I am grateful for all your interest in the community. Thank you."