Child Abuse Prevention Meeting– Ohio

April 14 & 15, 2023

We are excited to announce that A Better Way will host a Child Abuse Prevention Meeting in Fredericksburg, OH, on April 14 & 15, 2023!

Come and get training from professionals on identifying and reporting abuse and making our homes, churches, and communities safe places. Learn ways to teach and empower children, how to respond wisely in the event of possible abuse, topics of special interest to survivors, and much more.

There will be a wide variety of resources available, including free resources from OneEighty; our own brochures and handouts; recommended books and resources to purchase from multiple authors, including some who will be speaking.

Additionally, you will have the ability to network with others who care about children and the opportunity to ask questions in a safe and supportive environment.

Credit may be offered by some foster/adoption agencies for this training. (Check with your agency for their requirements.)

The registration fee includes snacks and drinks, as well as Friday supper and Saturday lunch. We will have options available for those with gluten or dairy sensitivities.

Limited funds may be available if you need help with the purchase of a ticket. Please inquire.

Admission Policy: We reserve the right to refuse admission to anyone. For example, if we have received credible reports of abusive behavior, or you have caused concerns at a previous event, those could result in you being excluded from this event. Please note that we take our attendees’ safety and comfort seriously. If you have any concerns or questions about safety at our event, please speak promptly to our staff or law enforcement.

Please observe all posted or verbal requests and observe directions from staff.

Age Restriction: Due to the nature of this event’s subject matter, this meeting is only open to anyone 18 or older. Parents may bring young children who are nursing/bottle fed.

We look forward to seeing you!

Location

The Lighted Lantern
4537 Graber Road
Fredericksburg, OH 44627

Can’t Make it in Person?

Watch the Livestream

The plenary sessions and one session at each breakout will be streamed live to anyone who purchases a streaming ticket. Afterwards, the recordings will still be available for you to re-watch. If you are unable to attend or watch live on the day of the event, a streaming ticket will allow you to take this training on your own schedule.

​​This ticket purchase will also include some PDF’s for your use. Please note that the ticket price also helps pay our speakers.

Help Spread the Word!

Schedule of Events

View/Download PDF

Friday, April 14, 2023

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Speakers

Dianne Darr Couts

Dianne Darr Couts is a retired high school English and French teacher and survivor of childhood sexual abuse and institutional abuse. As a board member of Missionary Kid (MK) Safety Net, Dianne is a speaker at conferences and in churches about abuse in religious settings. Her book, Things Fell Apart, But the Center Held, is her story of an extraordinary childhood, rich with wonderful experiences, juxtaposed with sexual, emotional and spiritual abuse.

Dianne is married to Bud, a retired minister. They have three married children and seven grandchildren.

Hope Anne Dueck

Raised in a plain community and observing multiple cases of child abuse, Hope Anne has a burning passion to protect children and the vulnerable from abuse.

Having previously helped create and serve on the board of a non-profit in the 1990’s that supported survivors, Hope Anne eventually went on to co-found A Better Way with Wesley Yoder in 2017 to provide education about prevention of abuse, as well as supporting survivors through advocacy in a variety of ways.

It would be impossible for her to do the work that she does without the enthusiastic support of her husband, Paul, and their children, and she is always grateful for their love and support.

Dale and Faith Ingraham

Dale Ingraham graduated from Practical Bible Training School in Johnson City, NY in 1983. He has been a pastor of several churches since beginning his ministry in 1983.  He resigned from Curtis Baptist Bible Church in Campbell, NY, where he served as their pastor for 20 years, to devote himself fully to the ministry of Speaking Truth in Love.  He is the author of “Tear Down This Wall of Silence”. He also serves on the board of MK Safety Net US. 

Faith Ingraham is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She has been serving with her husband in pastoral ministry since 1984.  She is an author, speaker, life coach and strong advocate against domestic violence and abuse. Dale and Faith have been married since 1984.  She home schooled all five of their children and enjoys spending time with their grown children and grandchildren.

Lara Keifer

Lara Kiefer is the Executive Director of the Wayne County Children’s Advocacy Center, which serves Wayne, Holmes, and Ashland Counties.  Lara received her business degree from Malone University in Organizational Management. She spent the majority of her career in the non-profit world helping those who needed it the most.  She started her career at Legal Aid for 9 years and then was the Associate Director at One-Eighty, a domestic violence and substance abuse treatment agency in Wooster for 17 years.  Having always dreamed of being an Executive Director, she accepted the challenge as Director of the American Red Cross of Wayne, Holmes, Ashland, Richland, Huron, Erie, and Lorain Counties. 

She was approached to become the Director at the local Children’s Advocacy Center and has since been able to expand their services by adding a full-time pediatric sexual assault nurse at the center so that every child will have the opportunity to have a free wellness check when on site. She is married to Joe, who is a Lieutenant at the Wooster Fire Department, and together they have 5 children.

Matthew Muzic

Matt Muzic is the Holmes County Prosecuting Attorney, responsible for prosecuting all violations of criminal law within Holmes County, OH, and serves as legal counsel for all Holmes County departments, townships, and other public entities.

Anna Purkey

Anna’s nursing career included labor and delivery, ICU, pediatrics and home care.  She worked for the City of Columbus, serving at risk families and coordinating care with child and family services.  When she completed her master’s for Family Nurse Practitioner, her goal was to return to the rural community. 

Anna grew up in Perry County, attended OSU while working adolescent psychiatry and completed her degree at Case Western while working the NICU.  She is passionate about treating the entire family when health needs arise.  Using holistic methods, Anna supports families as they journey through their health care needs.

The neurobiology of chronic stress is an often-overlooked aspect of healthcare through lifespan.  Being able to recognize incidents that may be instrumental in current self-care and acknowledging the continuum of healing is imperative for family balance. 

Crystal Sayre

Crystal Sayre is a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor who currently works at Cedar Ridge Behavioral Health Solutions in Cambridge, Ohio. Crystal graduated from Ashland Theological Seminary with a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Crystal’s love in counseling is supporting parents and children to experience better connections with each other. Her focus is trauma-informed care of all ages of clients. Her desire is that every person and client experience the love of Jesus when they are with her.

Sasha Sheridan

Detective Sasha Sheridan grew up in Nebraska and moved to Pennsylvania in 1989. After graduating from University of Pittsburgh with Administration in Justice Degree, she served as a corrections counselor in Allegheny County. She then became a Pennsylvania State Trooper for 20 years, stationed at PSP Lamar Barracks. Detective Sheridan currently works for Clinton County District Attorney David Strouse as County Detective specializing in Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault.

Justin Woodbury

Justin Woodbury was raised on a small farm out in the country on the west side of Ann Arbor, Michigan. When he was a junior in high school, he was sexually abused by his mom’s best friend–a married mother of four in her mid-thirties.  When the abuse was uncovered, Justin was shamed and church disciplined, but never received counsel. 

For the next twenty years, Justin’s life spiraled downward until he decided to seek healing and help from his trauma.  Since then, Justin has made it his life’s mission to speak out against abuse in all forms and to be a voice for victims, especially those who were abused in a religious setting. He is the author of Sheltered but Not Protected: Learning to Love, Forgive, and Heal After Emotional and Sexual Abuse.

When he’s not working, Justin enjoys camping, hiking, and, most of all, spending time with his wife Emily and their two beautiful children, Jackson and Juliette.