The Keep Our Kids Safe Initiative is a community-powered movement focused on preventing child trafficking and exploitation before it begins and strengthening local responses when it occurs.
On April 9, Shared Hope International opens its nationally recognized, survivor-informed training to the entire Southwest Washington community
Trafficking stops when every parent knows what grooming looks like. When every teacher knows what to say. When the whole community decides: not here, not our kids. That’s the community we’re building”
VANCOUVER, WA, UNITED STATES, March 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Last August, it took more than 60 officers from 20 law enforcement agencies four days to arrest 12 men in Battle Ground, Washington. The men — ranging in age from 24 to 61, traveling from Oregon, Washington, and as far as New York — had come to Clark County believing they would sexually exploit a child. The Washington State Patrol called it Operation Battle Ground. — Linda Smith, Founder and President, Shared Hope International
Twelve arrests. Sixty officers. Twenty agencies. Four days. And those are only the ones they caught.
Law enforcement cannot be everywhere. But an informed, alert community can be. On Saturday, April 9, 2026, Shared Hope International is hosting a FREE, full-day training at the Hilton Vancouver — open to every professional, parent, and concerned community member in Southwest Washington who is ready to be part of the protection. Registration is free. Spots are limited. Register today at sharedhope.org/keep-kids.
“Twelve men. Sixty officers. One community in Clark County. Trafficking doesn’t just happen over there. It’s also happening right here — and those men came from Oregon, Washington, and New York to do it. Law enforcement did their job. Now it is our turn. Every teacher, every nurse, every parent who walks into that training on April 9 becomes part of the answer.”
— Linda Smith, Founder and President, Shared Hope International
WHY NOW — THE THREAT HAS CHANGED
Trafficking does not look the way people expect. Traffickers no longer need to physically find a child — they can reach any young person instantly and anonymously through social media, gaming platforms, and messaging apps. ANY child can be targeted, regardless of background or circumstances.
Most people who interact with at-risk youth every single day — teachers, nurses, coaches, parents — have never received training on what modern trafficking and grooming look like. The signs are there. But you have to know what to look for. This training changes that.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
This is not a passive lecture. Every session is hands-on, role-specific, and built on survivor-informed curriculum developed in partnership with the professional groups it is designed for. You will leave with tools you can use the very next day:
- Recognize the warning signs of trafficking and grooming in schools, clinics, homes, and community settings
- Understand how traffickers operate today including how they use social media, gaming, and apps to target children
- Respond in victim-centered ways that protect rather than re-traumatize
- Know who to call and what to document — and how to coordinate across agencies when concerns arise
- Talk about it at home — everyone leaves with practical frameworks for age-appropriate conversations
- Work across sectors — with peers from law enforcement, healthcare, education, and social services in the same room, building coordinated lines of defense
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
If you work with, care for, or love a young person — this training is for you. Every sector of our community has a role to play:
- Parents and grandparents who want real, practical knowledge to protect their family
- K–12 educators, school counselors, and administrators — who spend more waking hours with children than almost anyone else
- Medical and behavioral health professionals — who are often the only adult a young person sees without a trafficker present
- Law enforcement and first responders — whose early identification and victim-centered responses disrupt exploitation before it escalates
- Social workers, case managers, and counselors — whose trusted relationships mean disclosures often happen with them first
- Faith community and youth-serving nonprofit staff
- Community leaders, coaches, and local business owners
- You do not need a title or professional role to make a difference. You just need to show up.
Built on 27 Years of Research — Brought Home
This training is grounded in Shared Hope’s nationally recognized research and the curriculum developed for the nation’s leading conference on juvenile sex trafficking — now available to your community, free of charge.
EVENT DETAILS
WHAT: Keep Our Kids Safe: Free Community & Professional Training Day
WHEN; Saturday, April 9, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
WHERE: Hilton Vancouver | 301 W 6th St, Vancouver, WA 98660
COST: FREE — Open to All
REGISTER: sharedhope.org/keep-kids
Offered in partnership with the Vancouver Police Department, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and Battle Ground Police Department — a unified, community-wide commitment to protecting children.
A NATIONAL MODEL, LAUNCHING HERE
The April 9 training is part of the Keep Our Kids Safe Initiative — a research-driven, community-powered prevention model launching first in Southwest Washington with a national vision. It is built not just to inform but to multiply: every professional and community member who attends becomes a protector who carries awareness back into their school, their clinic, their neighborhood, and their home. Education is prevention. And prevention works best when the whole community is in the room.
The initiative continues one week later: on April 16, a free Youth-Led Community Awareness Night at the Battle Ground Farmers Market brings young leaders together with families and neighbors. The entire community is invited.
“Trafficking is not going to stop because law enforcement is good at their jobs. It stops when every parent knows what grooming looks like. When every teacher knows what to say. When the whole community decides: not here, not our kids. That’s the community we’re building — starting April 9.”
— Linda Smith, Founder and President, Shared Hope International
ABOUT SHARED HOPE INTERNATIONAL
For more than 27 years, Shared Hope International has led the national fight against child sex trafficking through survivor-informed prevention, policy advocacy, and community training. Founded in 1998 by former U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith, Shared Hope hosts the nation’s leading conference on juvenile sex trafficking and has helped shape anti-trafficking law across the country. The organization is headquartered in Vancouver, WA and is rated four stars by Charity Navigator.
REGISTER FREE | sharedhope.org/keep-kids
Saturday, April 9, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Hilton Vancouver, WA | Free
Questions? Contact Elizabeth Freisinger at elizabeth@sharedhope.org or 360-693-8100.
Interviews with Linda Smith and other Shared Hope spokespeople, survivor-informed curriculum materials, event photos, and b-roll are available upon request.
Shared Hope International • P.O. Box 1907, Vancouver, WA 98668 • sharedhope.org • 1-866-437-5433
Elizabeth Freisinger
Shared Hope Internatonal
+1 360-693-8100
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok
X
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
