childhelp usa

Childhelp (formerly Childhelp USA) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect and at-risk children through advocacy, prevention, treatment and community outreach. Founded in 1959 by Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, Childhelp is one of the largest non-profit child abuse prevention and treatment agencies in the nation. It operates facilities in seven states around the U.S. and the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453), that services the entire United States, its territories and Canada.

The organization offers a wide variety of services, not only to abused and neglected children, but to treatment professionals, educators, parents, foster care families the community and law enforcement professionals. Through various community outreach efforts, Childhelp has tried to increase awareness about child abuse. As part of those effort in 2000, Childhelp established the National Day of Hope. It is observed every year on the first Wednesday of April during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. In 2009, the organization will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Childhelp relies upon private donations to expand its operations and services across the nation.

According to a 2006 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, four children die every day to child abuse and neglect and millions more reports are made every year of abuse[1]. Contents [hide] 1 Founders 1.1 Sara O'Meara 1.2 Yvonne Fedderson 1.3 Book and Lifetime movie 2 History 2.1 Japanese Orphanages 2.2 Operation Babylift 3 Services 3.1 National Hotline 3.2 Advocacy Centers 3.3 Treatment 3.4 Professional training 3.5 Good Touch/Bad Touch 3.6 Childhelp Crystal Darkness 3.7 Community outreach 4 Celebrity ambassadors 5 References 6 External links //

Founders Childhelp Founders Sara O'Meara and Yvonne Fedderson on the set of the Today Show.

Sara O'Meara (then Sara Buckner) and Yvonne Fedderson (then Yvonne Lime) first met each other in 1958 on the set of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, a popular 1950s television show. The pair, rising Hollywood actresses, played the part of Ricky's girlfriend and quickly became fast friends.

While on a government-sponsored goodwill tour to support the troops in Tokyo the pair founded Childhelp in 1959 when they opened International Orphans to support 11 Japanese-American children found wandering the streets, unable to get in to any orphanages because of their mixed heritage. Within three weeks the number of children increased to 100.

Over the years the pair would work together to grow Childhelp in to one of the largest child abuse prevention and treatment non-profit organizations and operate today as Chairman and CEO (Sara) and President (Yvonne). Their efforts have won them more than 100 awards and honors. The most recent award in June 2008, was the 2008 Most Dynamic Woman Award from Clarins