This cause is personal to us, driven by the vulnerability of our four-year-old son in the midst of an unacceptable bathroom offered by the Southwest Pre-school. The current open bathroom concept at this Pre-school, located between the new and old development area, provides no real privacy for the children. This situation potentially exposes them to harmful pedophiliac actions and peer-to-peer sexual abuse situations. We have been through teachers, administration and presented to the board of education at USD 382 on Monday Nov 11th where they said, "I guess we will just wait to see if anyone else comes forward." -Helfrich. We find it bizarre that we have mostly been met with defense on our concerns and not a true description of how this is in the best interest of children.  

As adults, it's our responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of children. Privacy in bathrooms is not a mere preference; it's a basic human right, even more so for impressionable and defenseless children. Failing to ensure this right is a severe oversight, potentially causing psychological,  emotional, and physical distress for these young children.

The rates of peer-on-peer child sexual abuse has increased over the last decade, more than 70% of children sexually abused are abused by a peer and 44% of incidents occur in schools.  Only 23 percent at this age can communicate the issue, others learn it was inappropriate later in life and work with their issues then.  Pediatricians are now acknowledging when examining a child’s private area and state to them, this is only okay because mom or dad is here and I’m your doctor.  What is a child to think when their private parts are being exposed to another peer or adult that is not their parent or doctor?   

Our proposed solution is that Southwest Preschool needs to redesign their bathrooms to include longer dividers and doors, doing so will provide the much-needed privacy for the children. The world is dangerous enough; let's not let our schools contribute to that danger.

Please, let’s ensure our children's safety and protect their innocence in every possible way. Sign this petition to demand that Southwest Preschool takes immediate action to rectify this dire situation.