Elementary School Outreach:
Hugs and Kisses Program
Hugs and Kisses is a traveling theatrical production which educates elementary school children about how to keep safe from, or report, sexual abuse. Families Forward also provides training for professional cast members and teachers.
Performed by the Virginia Repertory Theatre, Hugs and Kisses reaches about 45,000 Virginia elementary students per year.
Families Forward Virginia co-coordinates 160 performances a year in coordination with the Virginia Department of Social Services and local schools. Families Forward also provides training for professional cast members and teachers. Hugs and Kisses is based on a book by Bruce Craig Miller and A. Terry Bliss with music by Richard Giersch.
Additionally, the Hugs and Kisses program teaches educators how to responsibly and respectfully respond to a child's disclosure of abuse and how to route those disclosures to the proper authorities.
For more information, visit the Virginia Repertory Theatre website here.
Click here to learn more about child abuse prevention and how parents and caregivers can support healthy development of children and the prevention of child sexual abuse.
Elementary School Outreach
This is the
39th
Anniversary
year of
Hugs and Kisses and to date
about
19,000
Virginia children have disclosed sexual abuse
after watching the
Hugs and Kisses program.
Hugs and Kisses does a fantastic job educating a young audience about a very sensitive and uncomfortable topic. Loved how they reiterated the fact that our bodies are beautiful."
–Teacher
Winchester County
Hugs and Kisses Testimonials
"It opens the door, so to speak, to children who may not have this type of conversation at home."
- Counselor, New Kent County
"This is my first time hosting. I was impressed with th e support the crew gave students."
- Counselor, City of Richmond
"The content is presented in a very developmentally appropriate manner."
- Counselor, Culpepper County
"Actors were well prepared and were very passionate about what they were doing. They did a wonderful job at explaining such a sensitive subject to children and helping them understand."
- Administrator, Augusta County