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Our Partners

We value diverse partnerships & are stronger together. Protect Our Children, is proud to be fiscally sponsored by Tides Center, a well-respected non-profit organization. To learn more about Tides and its commitment, transparency and accountability, please review Tides’ state-by-state disclosures

 

If you would like to make a charitable donation, click below. 

The Ford Family Foundation provides funding across Oregon and in Siskiyou County, California, for Protect Our Children.

Our Team.

We are committed to finding and sharing resources and guidance that propel us toward a world free of child sexual abuse. Our team brings innovation, experience, and resources rooted in the vision of a world in which adults form prevention-oriented communities that protect the child’s right to a healthy childhood.

Project Associate

Brenda

Mendoza

Contact:

bmendoza@protectourchildren.org

Brenda Mendoza joined Protect Our Children in 2024. Born in Jalisco, Mexico, she immigrated to the United States with her family at age 11. Brenda has been a dedicated advocate for Oregon's Spanish-speaking communities since 1997. Her extensive experience in community engagement, combined with her bilingual and bicultural background, has enabled her to make a lasting impact on the lives of countless families throughout her 20+ years of service.


Brenda Mendoza se unió a Protect Our Children en 2024. Nacida en Jalisco, México, emigró a los Estados Unidos con su familia a los 11 años. Brenda ha sido una defensora de las comunidades de habla hispana de Oregón desde 1997. Su amplia experiencia en participación comunitaria, combinada con su origen bilingüe y bicultural, le ha permitido tener un impacto duradero en las vidas de innumerables familias a lo largo de sus más de 20 años de servicio.

Project Director

Mary

Ratliff

Contact: mratliff@protectourchildren.org

Mary has led Protect Our Children since 2014, playing a key role in its success with her unique blend of strategic insight, compassion, and organizational skills. With over 20 years of experience in child abuse prevention and advocacy, she has held leadership roles in local nonprofits and served on various community boards. Mary is currently Board Chair for the Oregon Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America and a founding board member of Connect to Protect Kids. She holds a master’s degree in public administration, a graduate certificate in nonprofit management, and a bachelor’s in family and human services from the University of Oregon.

Our Story

We are fostering a community-level norms change, including opening new conversations that counter the long-standing culture of silence.

Mobilize communities to prevent child sexual abuse.

Our Mission:

Established in 2015, Protect Our Children was born from The Ford Family Foundation's unwavering commitment to end child sexual abuse. As a community-based training program, we strive to raise awareness and foster a proactive approach to prevention through education. With a driven statewide coordinator at the helm and 17 committed partner organizations on the ground, we have made substantial progress in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. By uniting a powerful network of individuals and organizations, we are working towards a future filled with brighter prospects for our children.

The Beginning

Belief

-That child abuse can be prevented.

-We all have a role in preventing child abuse.

Hopefulness

-That child sexual abuse can be reduced. 

-That survivors can heal.

File Name

Description

Size

Download

The report summarizes the impact of Protect Our Children's first 7 years, showing individual and systems-level changes in rural Oregon and Siskiyou County's efforts to end child sexual abuse. Key findings are based on over 10,000 pre and post surveys, 425 selected participants compared to 457 randomly selected Oregonians, focus groups, and partner site representative surveys from 2015-2022.

2.3 MB

January 31, 2023

The findings of Protect Our Children's 7-year evaluation show impacts beyond individuals, including changes in participating organizations, communities, and collective action. Practical changes include building renovations, new trainings and protective cameras, as well as reductions in the culture of silence and shame around child sexual abuse. The report highlights the establishment of a child sexual abuse prevention network in rural Oregon, consisting of co-learning, experts, and diverse organizations working together, leading to a sense of community healing.

2.4 MB

October 24, 2022

The first rural-focused evaluation of child sexual abuse prevention programs in the state, measuring individual and systems-level impact and showing the importance of a coordinated statewide learning network for successful and sustainable initiatives.

1.8 MB

January 31, 2023

Este informe resume el impacto de los primeros 7 años de Protect Our Children como un programa de The Ford Family Foundation, incluyendo cambios a nivel individual y en el sistema de las zonas rurales de Oregon y del Condado de Siskiyou en su lucha contra el abuso sexual infantil.

3.2 MB

January 31, 2023

Our Work

Stay informed with the newest findings from Protect Our Children's research efforts. Discover the cutting-edge insights and analysis from our team's extensive work in the field of child protection. Visit University of Oregon's Center for Childhood Safety and Wellbeing to dive more into research that keeps kids safe!

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