Kids Are SACRED
Article by Dave Eckert
The numbers are shocking, to say the least. One in ten children are victims of sexual abuse by the age of 18. It is a monumental problem in America, one that puts millions of children’s physical and mental health in peril. While this never happened to me, I know people to whom sexual abuse has happened. I also know, and consider myself good friends with, a couple who has spent much of their lives raising awareness of child sexual abuse while, at the same time, providing critical financial relief to families in crisis. Carol and John d’Attoma are that couple. Kids Are Sacred is their organization, their passion, and for many children and families, their salvation.
Founder John d’Attoma
Founder Carol d’Attoma
I recently chatted with John about Sacred, its origins, and its impact. “SACRED started because something unimaginable happened in our own family. Our granddaughters were sexually abused by their father. Overnight, our entire world changed. On top of the emotional trauma, our daughter was suddenly dealing with a financial crisis. Our daughter’s life was suddenly disrupted with going to interviews, court dates, therapy, and the loss of her husband’s income, who was the main breadwinner of the family,” d’Attoma recalled. “We were incredibly fortunate, family, friends, and business associates helped our daughter financially by starting a fund for her to help with daily living expenses. This opened my wife’s and my eyes to the fact that most families don’t have that kind of support. That’s where the idea for SACRED came from. We didn’t want any family to have to worry about how they were going to pay their bills while trying to help their child survive something like this.”
From the beginning, the goal of Sacred was straightforward-to help support families of sexually abused kids when finances are impacted due to the sexual abuse. “When a child discloses sexual abuse, everything stops. If the abuser was an income contributor, or if the sexual abuse of a child causes financial issues like the need to relocate to a grandparent’s home or help stay in their own home, SACRED, working with the child advocate, steps in and relieves some of that pressure so families can focus on what actually matters in that moment,” d’Attoma shared.
d’Attoma says Sacred helps children and their families on multiple levels. First, by providing up to 30-days of basic living expenses like rent or mortgage payments, utilities, groceries, and transportation. In rare cases, if the Child Advocacy Center is unable to get immediate assistance for the family, d’Attoma says SACRED will extend an additional 30 days to the sexually abused child’s family.
“We work exclusively with accredited Child Advocacy Centers, so the requests are coming from professionals who know these families and their situations. That allows us to move quickly. Most requests are approved within hours, and the funds usually go out within 24 hours,”d’Attoma said.
I asked d’Attoma what he feels is personally gratifying about Sacred? “For me, it’s knowing that a family may set aside stressing about money and address the immediate needs of the child and the sexual abuse case. Because SACRED grew out of our own family’s experience, every family we help feels personal. Knowing that something so painful has turned into something that truly helps others means everything to us,”d’Attoma shared.
What’s more, in 16 years, neither John nor Carol has taken a salary. John says they hired their first and only paid employee when his wife retired in 2023 and they’ve been able to raise over $1.7 million and issue grants to 589 families with 1602 kids totaling nearly $1.5 million!
“Getting involved doesn’t have to be complicated. People can donate, host a fundraiser, share our story, or just help spread awareness. Every little bit helps, and it all adds up,” d’Attoma concluded.
To learn more and lend a hand, visit www.kidsaresacred.org, check out Sacred’s social media pages, or email them at info@kidsaresacred.org.
