AUSTIN, TX– (April 1, 2021) – As National Child Abuse Prevention Month gets underway, the Child-Friendly Faith Project (CFFP), a national nonprofit that educates the public about religiously-enabled child maltreatment, is raising awareness of crimes against children perpetrated in religious institutions. The CFFP is also drawing attention to a dangerous… Read More
Press Release: Interfaith Activists Condemn Menlo Church Investigative Practices
Interfaith Activists Condemn Menlo Church Investigative Practices For Immediate Release Contact: Sarah Henry, [email protected], (407) 706-4628 (July 2, 2020) – Leadership at the Child-Friendly Faith Project condemns the ongoing failure of California’s Menlo Church to protect its minor congregants. In a June 28, 2020 Twitter thread, Daniel Laverey, the son… Read More
CFFP Stands With #BlackLivesMatter
As advocates for victims and adult survivors of religious child maltreatment, the Child-Friendly Faith Project opposes all forms of abuse perpetrated by the powerful against the marginalized. We condemn racism and the police brutality it fuels. As law enforcement officers continue to terrorize and murder Black people with impunity and… Read More
Faith Healing is Spreading, not Curing, Coronavirus
As the coronavirus continues its deadly spread across America and around the world, there are some who are less concerned, less mindful of social-distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders, less tied to accurate, evidence-based medical directives. Of course, faith healing isn’t new, but the ongoing crisis has rightfully increased our national… Read More
The CFFP Looks Forward…
I’ve been here at the Child-Friendly Faith Project for almost three months now, and already I’ve been so inspired by the work that this organization produces, collecting and distributing resources and supporting survivors in so many capacities. I’m honored to be a part of it as we move forward into… Read More
Why I Marched to Protect Every Child
An estimated 3,200 people showed up for the Protect Every Child march. On Saturday, October 5th, I had the honor and privilege of participating in the inaugural Protect Every Child march in Salt Lake City, Utah. This march, organized by child advocate and former LDS bishop… Read More
Secular moms of color talk about parenting. Listen to their stories. Learn from their experiences.
Last weekend, I attended the Women of Color Beyond Belief Conference. I learned so much listening to empowered, passionate, wise secular women of color talk about issues that touch all our lives. The mission of the conference was to highlight the social justice work of women of color within the secular… Read More
The question to ask in 2020: Who do we want to parent us?
It’s not like us to talk about politics. But it’s important to reflect on the times we live in and how we believe they must change. The upcoming 2020 Presidential election is extremely important. For the last two years, we have been suffering as a nation. I’m not talking… Read More
California’s Senate Bill 360 Will Protect Children From Clergy Abuse
Rev. Dr. Jaime Romo When I was a teenager, my priest abuser would have me sit in the car and wait for him while he went to his confessor before we would go on an out-of-town trip together. Had California’s SB 360 been in place then, how… Read More
The homophobic teachings of the Mormon church killed my son
Brian Bresee and his son Samuel When Brian Bresee became a father, he was a sixth-generation Mormon who believed that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was a good faith tradition and environment in which to raise children. But when his 14-year-old son took… Read More
Lawsuit Filed Against Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch for Failing to Keep Two Boys Safe from Sexual Abuse
Boys Ranch was aware of the dangerous condition on their premises. Stuart and Andy’s outcries are corroborated by similar reports spanning decades. Within the past two years, dozens of former Boys Ranch residents have made outcries of physical and sexual abuse they endured while in Boys Ranch[’s] care. [caption id=”attachment_10259″… Read More
An open letter from a survivor of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch to its CEO Dan Adams
The Child-Friendly Faith Project provides an outlet for abuse survivors of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch to tell their stories about ongoing, egregious abuses they suffered as child residents at the institution. Matthew Miller lived at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch from 1983 to 1990. His open letter is addressed to Dan Adams,… Read More
As more abuse survivors come forward, Cal Farley’s CEO says he’s not a “promoter of their agenda”
The Associated Press has published a feature story on the egregious abuses that continued for decades at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch in North Texas. Many abuse survivors say the institution ignores the needs of those it harmed and should be transparent about its mistakes of the past. One man calls it… Read More
Are Idaho and Washington State Pro-Child-Death?
It’s been great to see bi-partisan, pro-child-protection bills filed in state legislatures this year. (A sign that Big Religion isn’t as powerful as it once was. States are expanding child sexual abuse statutes of limitations and California is looking to require that clergy report suspected cases of child abuse heard in confession.… Read More
A resolution that has child abuse written all over it
Usually, state legislative resolutions don’t carry much weight. They tend to be more symbolic than anything else. But in Idaho, one resolution making its way through the state House of Representatives would offer another kind of symbolism—a death nail to seal the coffins of more children who will needlessly die… Read More
CFFP included in California Senator’s announcement of “mandated reporter” bill
We fully support Senator Hill’s bill that requires clergy to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect, without exception. For too long, religious authorities have been protected from reporting these cases, leaving children vulnerable and unsafe. Like teachers, physicians, and other mandatory reporters, members of the clergy often spend much… Read More
Two bills in WA and CA would protect children from religious abuse and neglect
We are grateful for two bills that have just been filed in two state legislatures. Both relate to issues that the Child-Friendly Faith Project has long been involved with and could make a huge impact on the safety, health, and lives of children. We will continue to follow the progress… Read More
Help us end religious child abuse and neglect!
Sharing knowledge about religious child maltreatment. Building community with those who care about RCM. Advocating for those whose lives are impacted by it. Since its founding in 2012, the Child-Friendly Faith Project has been raising awareness of an issue that many people have had a hard time talking about—religious child… Read More
Thank you for helping Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch Survivors find community and healing by funding this special event!
For more than 50 years, the disadvantaged children under the care of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch suffered severe physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. On Aug. 31, the Child-Friendly Faith Project organized a reunion for survivors and their loved ones so they could find community, support and healing. The reunion,… Read More
Warning to Texas Parents: This might be a really bad time to enroll your child in a faith-based private school
Will your child be attending a private, faith-based school in Texas this fall? In light of a recent decision by the Texas Supreme Court, you may want to rethink that plan. The Texas Supreme Court made a decision this past week that could adversely affect the lives of thousands of… Read More
Will Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch help those it traumatized as children?
Boys Ranch has a program that provides assistance to alumni. But it’s not working well for those who were abused while growing up there. It’s been six months since the news broke that Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch was not the place it purported itself to be. The nearly 80-year-old institution… Read More
My abuse weaponized me against my body. Until my body won.
Bethany Brittain, a former board member of the CFFP, talks about how the physical and emotional abuse of her childhood affected her relationship with her body and, ultimately, her health. When I was 13, I declared war on my body. It wasn’t hard to do. It was quite natural even.… Read More
Why the Waffle House Shooter’s Homeschooling Background Matters
Three Christian homeschoolers became radicalized domestic terrorists this year and it’s only May. On April 22, 29-year-old Travis Reinking made headlines when he shot and killed four people in a Waffle House in Nashville, TN. His motives are still unclear. Because Reinking is white and his victims were black, some… Read More
Idaho legislative candidates weigh in on faith-healing child deaths
Once a subject it seemed no one was talking about, candidates running for the Idaho House of Representatives in next week’s Republican primary are now saying just how they feel about so many children in their state dying from “faith-healing medical neglect.” Due to the great work of child advocates,… Read More
Will Texas parents lose their right to sue faith-based schools that abuse their child?
A decision by the Texas Supreme Court could give religiously affiliated private schools legal carte blanche to harm children. As parents, when we enroll our children in a school, we entrust it to care for our kids and keep them safe. That’s certainly true for private K-12 schools which… Read More
Evangelicals: The single most important change for #MeToo
In the last days of 2017, riding the wave of the #MeToo movement, a group of 140 evangelical women released a petition on “Breaking the Silence on Violence against Women and Girls.” Under the hashtag #SilenceIsNotSpiritual, it invited “the community of faith” to “join this historic moment . . .… Read More
Mormon wants to end church’s “masturbation interviews”
What if you learned that your young son or daughter had been grilled about sex or masturbation without your permission? As a parent, I would panic. And then I would start asking questions; Who is doing this, why are they doing it, and is my child okay after enduring such a… Read More
Just because parents appear to be “good Christians” doesn’t mean they’re not abusing their kids
When the parents of David Turpin learned that he and his wife Louise had been allegedly torturing their 13 children, they were “surprised and shocked,” because their son and daughter-in-law were “a good Christian family.” We hear it time and time again. People express shock and disgust that parents who appear… Read More
Left Behind: When will Baptists catch up with #MeToo?
At a Southern Baptist mega-church in Memphis, pastor Andy Savage admitted to having a “sexual incident” with a 17-year-old girl twenty years earlier. The congregation’s response? Silence? Boos? No, a standing ovation. The admission came after the now-grown woman, Jules Woodson, posted a January 5 #MeToo account on social media,… Read More
Looking Forward: A Message from CFFP President Jaime Romo
It’s about time we begin to turn the world around It’s about time we start to make it the dream we’ve always known It’s about time we start to live the family of man It’s about time, it’s about changes and it’s about time It’s about peace and it’s about… Read More
Advocating for Survivors of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch
“A sense of safety is vital to a child’s ability to reach his or her full potential.” … Read More
Sexual abuse and a pastor’s suicide: What Dan Johnson’s death means for the #ChurchToo movement
Kentucky State Senator Dan Johnson (Photo credit: USA Today) One of the most shocking revelations of the #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements has been the death of Kentucky State Senator Dan Johnson. The 52-year-old first-term legislator and ultra-conservative preacher took his own life two days after it… Read More
An Open Letter to the Alabama Baptist Pastor Group
More than 100 Alabama Baptist pastors have signed a public statement denouncing “sexual abuse, assault, harassment, and exploitation of women.” Christa Brown, a survivor of sexual abuse, an outspoken critic of the Southern Baptist Convention, and a board member of the Child-Friendly Faith Project, responds. To Baptist Pastors of Alabama: I… Read More
What does your religion say about hitting children?
Where does your place of worship stand on the issue of corporal punishment of children? If you attend a conservative church, synagogue, or mosque, especially if it’s in ons of the southern “bible belt” states, chances are it supports hitting children as a form of discipline. When the school district… Read More
Why we shouldn’t be surprised that many religious conservatives support Roy Moore
There’s a lot being said about Roy Moore, the 70-year-old Christian, gun-toting hothead of Alabama who recently won the US Senate primary and has been accused by numerous women who say Moore sexually abused them when they were in their teens and Moore was 32. The youngest alleged victim was… Read More
As bad as the Harvey Weinstein scandal is, religious organizations accused of abuses could learn from Hollywood
The entertainment industry seems to get it: Harvey Weinstein couldn’t have sexually abused so many women without help from the enabling culture of Hollywood. Why is it so difficult for religious organizations facing abuse scandals to come to a similar realization? Many in the entertainment industry know that the movie mogul Harvey… Read More
Remembering Barbara Blaine, Founder of SNAP
CFFP Board President Dr. Jaime Romo shares a remembrance of Barbara Blaine, who died on Septermber 24, 2017 at the age of 61. Ms. Blaine founded the advocacy group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). In 2002, as an assistant professor at a Catholic university, I attended a conference… Read More
The Cardinal Pell Case: A Turning Point for the Catholic Church?
Cases of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church are so prevalent, we tend not to pay much attention to them. But child advocates are keeping a close eye on one case that could mark a new beginning in how the church and outside authorities hold high-ranking church officials accused… Read More
Idaho legislators support letting children die of medical neglect
Telling constituents it’s acceptable to deny children needed medical care doesn’t seem like something that would get a politician re-elected. But that’s what’s happening in Idaho. Child advocates have been imploring lawmakers there to change laws that prevent adults who deny children needed medical care from being prosecuted. The laws… Read More
A Pioneer in Children’s Advocacy Retires
Dr. Rita Swan Speaking at a CFFP Conference Anyone who follows the issue of religious child maltreatment—particularly cases in which children die from “faith healing”-related medical neglect—has heard of Dr. Rita Swan. I have had the honor of working with Rita and consider her a friend. Now this… Read More
With the close of the Idaho legislature, more children will die
We’re sorry to report that yet another year has gone by in which the Idaho legislature has refused to help children who are getting extremely ill, suffering disability, and dying—all due to lawmakers fiercely clinging to a twisted belief in “religious freedom.” (more…) Read More
Idaho lawmakers publicly shamed for allowing children to die
Mariah Walton who accuses her parents of denying her medical care as a child (Photo courtesy of Jason Wilson of The Guardian) The Child-Friendly Faith Project and child advocates in Idaho and around the country have worked hard to raise awareness of an unfolding tragedy: For decades, Idaho… Read More
Idaho wrap-up: ‘Faith healing’ bill is dead, Senator gets an ‘F’ in child advocacy, hopes for an interim committee, and another young member of a faith group dies
It would seem that child advocates have closed an agonizing chapter in our fight to help save the lives of children in Idaho who are denied needed medical care due to “faith healing” beliefs. The bill that aimed to protect these children died last week. But the fight is not over. Child… Read More
Idaho committee chairman receives ‘F’ grade in child advocacy
One year ago, the Child-Friendly Faith Project and local advocates began meeting with Sen. Lee Heider about a critical issue—Idaho’s failure to protect children from egregious ‘faith healing’ medical neglect. In evaluating his ability to be an advocate for children, the board of the CFFP agrees that the Senator deserves an ‘F.’ Lee Heider is… Read More
Are Idaho lawmakers ready to legalize all religiously motivated child abuse?
As Idaho legislators consider a bill that would protect children from egregious “faith healing” medical neglect, some have a lot to say about religious freedom. Sen. Lee Heider, who chairs the Sen. Health and Welfare Committee, has repeatedly stated that he opposes a bill that would make it illegal for adults to… Read More
Idaho Governor talks about ‘faith healing’ child deaths; town hall meeting is held
Panelists at Boise town hall meeting (Nishant Mohan/ID Public Radio) Last week, before I headed to Boise, Idaho, I was looking forward to being part of a panel discussion organized by local child advocates. The purpose was to offer a public forum for Idahoans who wanted to… Read More
What is #ProjectIdaho?
Too many children in Idaho are dying from “faith healing” medical neglect.It’s time the state did something to stop it.The Child-Friendly Faith Project doesn’t get involved in politics too often—except when it comes to Idaho. Why? Because Idaho’s laws fail to protect the health of children who are raised in… Read More