Our Mission
Empowering Families.
Building Brighter Futures.
What if we supported parents with the resources they needed to create safe environments and strengthen their confidence as caregivers, before adversity strikes?
We’ve all seen the heart-breaking headlines of children being mistreated, neglected and abused. These stories often highlight failures within the system, how individuals were ill-equipped to identify and help families in distress. But we often don’t consider a solution that starts much sooner: one focused on prevention.
We inspire a positive generational cycle empowering every child to reach their infinite potential.
American Society for the Positive Care of Children (American SPCC) was formed in 2011 as a first-of-its-kind 501 (c)(3) nonprofit dedicated solely to the prevention of child maltreatment and raising awareness of the lifelong impacts of adverse childhood experiences. By providing parents with the skills, tools, and educational resources that build their confidence and capacity as caregivers while strengthening family bonds, we work to create a brighter future for all.
We accomplish this through four main impact areas:
- Prevention & Education
- Empowerment
- Community
- Advocacy
American SPCC’s Parenting Resource Center
A library of reliable parenting tools and resources.
Each week, more than 15,000 people from across the globe turn to us for this support through our Parenting Resource Center— an online library of easily accessible, reliable and actionable parenting resources. Our team monitors and synthesizes the latest parenting research and trends to provide timely, relevant information caregivers can count on, all in one place.
Our impact is featured in media appearances across the U.S. and within partnerships that help deliver life-changing tools, such as The Happy Child App and The Brain Story.
Big changes always start small.
By providing adults with easily accessible, research-backed parenting support relevant to their lives, we can start a ripple of change that steadily grows, ultimately building happy childhoods and brighter futures for generations to come.
We believe that small steps — from individuals, families, leaders and organizations — will help us achieve these ambitious goals. Please join our movement today by following us on social media, sharing our resources with someone you love or consider supporting our work here.
Our Vision
Imagine a world where every parent is supported. Where the struggles of parenthood are recognized and the community rallies to meet their needs.
American SPCC is building this future.
After all, our children are our future. But in order for them to succeed, they need caregivers with the capacity and ability to support them. That’s why parenting resources, education and community building being offered by American SPCC are so vital.
Helping parents = helping children
It’s an approach medical professionals and top researchers have been calling for for decades. In fact, Dr. Robert Block, former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, says our failure to prevent persistent and avoidable negative childhood experiences “is the single greatest unaddressed public health threat facing our nation today.”
We can’t wait to address this crisis any longer.
American SPCC is dedicated to being part of the solution by offering life-changing education and support to caregivers.
When caregivers are empowered with the knowledge that even small actions can have significant impacts on a child’s development, we can ultimately break the cycle of trauma before it’s passed down.
We also know the struggles of parenthood look different for every family. That’s why we offer support by meeting caregivers where they are at, without judgment or expectations. We recognize parenthood is difficult, especially when combined with hardships related to relationships, employment, mental health, physical health and more.
American SPCC is here to let parents know they are not alone, that positive changes for the entire family are within reach.
Is this an ambitious vision? Absolutely. But the good news? We’re already making significant progress. In 2021 alone, parenting resources in our easily accessible, always-free online Parenting Resource Center reached more than 700,000 people. And each month, our impact is growing.
This shows us we’re onto something special here. We’re offering resources and support caregivers, friends and family are looking for and need.
In 2022, we are bringing positive, life-changing impacts to even more families across the globe. Not only will we update our Parenting Resource Center with the latest research and knowledge to help caregivers succeed, we are also embarking on first-of-its-kind partnerships with organizations and individuals who are dedicated to sharing their unique knowledge and experience with parents, caregivers and child advocates through our Trusted Parenting Network.
But this growth requires the support of donors who understand that an investment in families is an investment in our future.
Please consider joining us as we help create brighter futures, one family at a time.
Learn more about our impact and how you can help HERE.
Our Team
SARAH R.
MOORE
President
GENEVIEVE
RIVERA
Executive Director
Tiffany
Galvan
Vice-President
Elyse
Jones
Board Member
KJ
Althoff
Board Member
Paul
Banas
Board Member
Dr. Ann-Louise
Lockhart
Board Member
Destini
Davis
Board Member
Dr. Lawrence
Cohen
Board Member
Dr. Sasha
Reiisieh
Secretary
Emeritus
DR. ANN
MERTENS
Board Member
Advisory Council
Matt
Larson
Whitney
Barry
Mahal
Alvarez-Bakus
Dr. Cliff
Lewis
Varsha
Sharma
PARTNERS & SPONSORS
Thanks to these amazing people and organizations for their commitment to helping improve the way America treats its kids. As a community, they give the nation’s children a voice and each generation a brighter future.
Dr. Sasha Reiisieh
Dr. Sasha Reiisieh is a licensed therapist, educator, and owner of Compassionate Minds Therapy based in San Jose, California supporting individuals, families, and parents in their journey toward healing and connection.
With over a decade of experience, he specializes in trauma-informed care, focusing on early childhood trauma, attachment wounds, and their impact on relationships and personal growth. Dr. Sasha became a therapist driven by an inherent passion for helping people, which resonates deeply with the literal translation of his first name, “Helper of Man Kind.”
His journey led him to specialize in working with young children and their parenting environments, allowing him to address intricate mental health challenges at their core. Today, Dr. Sasha believes in creating a safe, empathetic space where clients can unpack their past, build resilience, and discover authentic ways to thrive. His approach blends evidence-based and holistic techniques with warmth and understanding, empowering clients to authentically reconnect with themselves and their loved ones.
Dr. Lawrence Cohen
Lawrence J. Cohen, PhD is a licensed psychologist and author.
His books Playful Parenting and The Opposite of Worry have been translated into 18 languages. He is also the co-author of The Art of Roughhousing, Best Friends Worst Enemies, and Mom They’re Teasing me. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
Mahal Alvarez-Backus
Mahal Alvarez-Backus (she/her) graduated cum laude with distinction and honors from Colby College in 2019 with a degree in Psychology and Human Development where her research focused on health disparities among college students. Currently, she is a medical student and hopes to become a pediatrician. Prior to medical school, she held various roles working towards community wellness, first as a teacher, then as a community health worker, and public health policy specialist. During her time at the Massachusetts State House she wrote a bill that recently became a law to expand public health insurance coverage for pregnant and postpartum residents of the Commonwealth. She is passionate about health equity, community empowerment, and policy change. In her free time she likes to run, read, and cook.
Mahal joined American SPCC because she believes in a non-punitive world where safety and community care are centered. She loves that American SPCC prioritizes prevention and support to empower families to be the best they can be. Mahal is especially interested in Adverse Childhood Experiences and using creative and critical thinking to strengthen infrastructure to prevent harm and provide everyone with the resources they need to thrive.
Destini Davis
Destini Davis is a vibrant and expressive mom on a mission to raise her children with intention and compassion. Her genuine personality shines through as she translates the intricacies of parenting into relatable, digestible content for her community. With her empathetic teaching style, Destini empowers parents to reshape the culture of their homes through conscious communication, intentional connection, and positive discipline. In her time as a certified parent coach, she has discovered that the most crucial aspect of the parent-child relationship is the parents themselves. She firmly believes that when parents thrive first, their children are much more likely to thrive themselves. Her dedication lies in helping parents increase their self-awareness, learn about child development, deepen their connections, and ignite passion in their own lives—so that they can show up passionately for their children. Acknowledgements: Tedx Speaker Author of Very Intentional Parenting Certified Parent Coach Community Leader of The Very Intentional Parenting Online Parenting Group
Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart
Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart is a business owner of A New Day Pediatric Psychology in San Antonio, TX. She is a pediatric psychologist, parent coach, wife of 25 years, a mom of 2 kids and has over 16 years of experience in her field. She serves as a parent coach for parents who have kids and teens with behavioral and emotional regulation concerns, those diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety, as well as kids who are highly sensitive. She focuses on helping parents adjust their mindset about parenting. Dr. Lockhart helps overwhelmed parents get on the same page and better understand their kids and teens. Dr. Lockhart has spoken nationally at schools, conferences, online podcasts, summits, and corporate workshops for topics about ADHD, anxiety, executive functioning, emotional dysregulation, and racism.
She has been interviewed and quoted in multiple online and print publications, including ABC News, the New York Times, New York Post, Pure Wow, MSN, Fatherly, Essence, HuffPost, San Antonio Magazine, Veronica Beard, Parents Magazine, and Therapy for Black Girls podcast. She is a Freelance Writer for PBS Kids for Parents, PureWow, and a Contributor for The Gottman Institute and 4Moms Dr. Lockhart also serves as a Board Member for the Verywell Review Board and Dadditude.
KJ Althoff
Whitney Barry
Whitney Barry is a stay at home mom and mindfulness teacher in Northern Colorado. She has been teaching yoga and meditation since 2012, and additionally spent eight years co-leading yoga teacher trainings. She is a certified trauma recovery yoga teacher, a certified trauma recovery coach, and a trauma sensitive mindfulness course graduate. She holds a BS in Geography and has a background in business process management. She’s a lover of yoga, reading, and most recently, playing ukulele
When her daughter was born in 2019, it was very clear to her that she wanted to break generational cycles. She has since committed herself to becoming a conscious, gentle parent. She has focused a lot on education, self-healing, traditional and somatic therapy, along with a whole lot of emotional healing and self-regulation work.
Whitney has relied heavily on the support of others during her parenting journey, which was one reason she was inspired to connect with the American SPCC. She feels deeply aligned with their mission and is compelled to support them and to help spread awareness. She understands first-hand how challenging parenting can be and how parents can benefit tremendously from the support and education that the American SPCC offers!
She is also extremely passionate about the well-being of children, and has been working with them in some capacity for over twenty years. She has worked in day care centers, as a nanny, a pre-school teacher, a kid’s camp counselor, a special education paraprofessional, and a PeaceKeeper circle facilitator. She yearns for all children to be treated with the love and respect that they deserve.
SARAH R.
MOORE
Board Member
Sarah R. Moore is the founder of Dandelion Seeds Positive Parenting and author of Peaceful Discipline: Story Teaching, Brain Science & Better Behavior. She’s a public speaker, armchair neuroscientist, and most importantly, a Mama. She’s a lifelong learner with training in child development, trauma recovery, interpersonal neurobiology, and improv comedy. As a certified Master Trainer in conscious parenting, she helps bring JOY, EASE, and CONNECTION back to families around the globe. Based in Colorado, Sarah and her family spend much of their time worldschooling. She speaks French and eats Italian food like a pro!) Her heart’s desire is to bring greater peace and healing to the world through loving and respectful parenting. Follow her on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, & Twitter.
Paul
Banas
Board Member
Paul Banas is the publisher of GreatDad.com and Pregnancy Magazine and its website PregnancyMagazine.com. After a career in advertising and international marketing at companies including Ogilvy & Mather, Unilever, Visa, and Yahoo, he quit his corporate job to stay at home with his small daughter and infant son. This experience led him to develop GreatDad.com, at the time one of very few parenting resources specifically for fathers. After training at the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI) and Positive Intelligence, he also coaches dads and entrepreneurs. Paul firmly believes in the importance of involved parenting to create a new generation of happier and more empathetic children.
Dawn
Wisner
Development Manager
As the Development Manager, Dawn brings over 7 years of professional experience in the nonprofit sector. Her proven knowledge in fundraising, community outreach, corporate giving and event management is only overshadowed by her upbeat, positive attitude that she brings to every challenge.
Her commitment to child abuse prevention led her to join American Society for the Positive Care of Children’s mission of creating a positive generational cycle for families. Through her current role, as well as her time working in a residential facility for abused and neglected children, Dawn has witnessed firsthand the importance of supportive resources and breaking the barriers of generational trauma. She is dedicated and excited to work with American SPCC to help create brighter futures for children everywhere.
When she is not helping to transform lives, she can be found restoring vintage furniture, photographing families, hiking, exploring Northern Michigan, and spending as much time as possible with her husband and two children.
Dawn is Mental Health First Aid Certified by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and has a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in professional communication.
Vanessa
Groppmair
Program Coordinator
Since Vanessa has joined American SPCC, her role has been diverse and evolving, from marketing and development into her current position as Program Coordinator. She ensures our parents and caregivers have access to the latest news and studies and makes this information available to our readers through our Parenting Resource Center program and various other digital platforms. She is also bilingual in English and Spanish and translates our online resources in order to reach a larger audience. Vanessa believes that the kids today are the leaders of tomorrow and in order to make our world a more peaceful and consciousness place, we must nurture and take care of our children.
Apart from her passion of the wellbeing and care of kids, Vanessa is also an animal advocate who aids in the rescue and safe placement of dogs and cats in their forever homes.
Tiffany Galvan
Board Chair
As the Board Chair, Tiffany is passionate about serving the mission of American SPCC to build and provide resources, education, and advocacy to parents, guardians, and teachers so that every child has the opportunity and access to a brighter future.
Tiffany is a veteran fundraising professional that brings over 12 years of Non-Profit, Communications, Fundraising, and Development experience to her clients. She works to empower Executives and Founders with the knowledge necessary to dismantle barriers that prevent organizational leaders from raising funds that will sustain and grow their missions.
As someone who has been on the ground in several organizations across multiple missions, Tiffany takes a holistic approach to fundraising. Tiffany works with each client to pinpoint a leader’s and organization’s struggles to help turn them into strengths.
Fundraising can be overwhelming. Tiffany works to empower Non-Profit Founders and Executives with proven strategies to effectively tell their story, share their mission, and raise money for their communities.
As a cornerstone to Tiffany’s mission, Tiffany believes that strong organizations build stronger communities. By building stronger and more sustainable communities, together we can create brighter futures for everyone.
Elyse Jones
Board Member
Elyse Jones is an international speaker, community practitioner and former school counselor with over a decade of experience, passionately supporting parents, educators, and communities. As a Licensed Mental Health Professional, Certified Parent Coach, and Mompreneur, she views her work not just as a career, but as a calling. As the CEO of Parenting for the Culture, she tackles generational patterns in parenting practices by offering transformative workshops & coaching to families as well as family serving organizations. Alongside her husband, she is committed to modeling the belief that peace on earth begins at home. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram & YouTube.
GENEVIEVE RIVERA
Executive Director
Genevieve believes that understanding, educating, and raising awareness of how adults play a role in child development is the first step in ending the epidemic of child adversity in America. Through in-depth volunteer work and nonprofit management, she’s witnessed firsthand how families and caregivers can build stronger bonds and break patterns of generational trauma when appropriate resources and support systems are in place.
Genevieve is committed to advancing American SPCC’s mission and empowering communities to see that change is possible and that we all have a role to play.
Genevieve is Brain Story certified and hold a degree in marketing and media communications. When not passionately leading the American SPCC team, Genevieve can be found in nature, hiking and exploring the mountain, practicing martial arts, or enhancing her knowledge through a great book or course. Her greatest joy is bonding with her young son in the simple moments that matter most.
DR. ANN MERTENS
Board Member
Ann Mertens, PhD, MS, is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Dr. Mertens also serves as Research Director of Cancer Survivorship at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She is a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at the Winship Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Ann’s passion about helping children has been a long time mission. As a graduate student she had an opportunity to work in pediatrics, and has committed to this mission ever since. She is a pediatric epidemiologist, and is currently working with survivors of pediatric cancer and their families to help them get back to a new normal after such as devastating diagnosis. She is also involved in other areas in pediatrics, expanding from working with children who are diagnosed with both acute and more chronic diseases.
Ann is excited to be a board member with American SPCC, and to help further their mission to improve the lives of children. She offers insights into some of the obstacles children may encounter, and how best to empower them and their families that will lead to a better future.
Tracy Kawa
Board Member
Tracy Kawa is a speaker, author, and entrepreneur. Author of The Seven Pillars of Reinvention: Finding Your Passion & Purpose, and developer of The Kawa Assessment, a psychometric and business DNA assessment tool, Tracy has spent twenty five years in the fields of personal & professional branding, and business & professional development. She is the founder of Kawa Community Partners & co-creator of Kawa Orthodontics, the largest solo-practitioner orthodontic practice in the world. Tracy has worked closely with parents, schools and children’s organizations on a multitude of projects. She has been featured on Inside the Minds of Leaders, and has worked with consultants to Fortune 500 companies.
From solopreneurs to small companies, Tracy has assessed hundreds of individuals, and uses tried and true techniques based on The Kawa Assessment to quickly evaluate and help people find their ideal careers, become top performers, and grow businesses, implementing creative personal and company branding & messaging and action steps. She believes in harnessing your God-given gifts and abilities to create success and winning teams!
Dr. Jay Harvey
Board Member
Dr. Jay Harvey hails from NYC and all of his education and training were completed in the Big Apple. He graduated from SUNY-Binghamton with a BS in Biology in 1983 and received his MD degree from SUNY-Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY in 1987. Dr. Harvey completed his pediatric residency and chief residency in 1991 at the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center in LI, NY. Immediately thereafter, he moved to the West Coast of Florida and has been a board certified Pediatrician in private practice since that time.
Dr. Harvey moved to South Florida in August 2017 and joined Cohen & Sheinker Pediatrics, PA as a full time Pediatrician. He was thrilled to become a member of this incredible team of pediatric physicians and dedicated staff, which comprise one of the fastest growing and highly regarded practices in Boca Raton and surrounding areas.
Dr. Harvey’s focus is on providing comprehensive and compassionate care in a family friendly environment. His greatest satisfaction is derived from educating and empowering parents and kids alike, so that they can live healthy and happy lives, both individually and collectively. As a board member, Dr. Harvey is excited to become a part of the American SPCC mission since the mission is so closely aligned to his life’s work. By empowering families and children within the American SPCC platform, Dr. Harvey hopes to continue to provide practical and educational resources so that both parents and children can create a brighter future for themselves.
Dr. Harvey is happily married and has 2 grown children. He is a lover of sports, music, movies, theatre, books and, for better or worse, food!
DR. TINA MCMECHEN
Board Member
Tina McMechen holds a Bachelors degree in psychology, a Masters degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, and an EdD in educational leadership. She has over 22 years experience in the field of education, with a background in teaching, student services, and educational sales. She is passionate about change management and believes leaders should view organizations from a systems (or holistic) perspective.
She is delighted to be a part of the American SPCC and hopes to be a good role model for her young three children for activism through education.
KATELYN KIRK
Board Treasurer
Katelyn Kirk graduated in June 2015 with her Masters in Sport and Exercise Science with a concentration in Exercise Psychology. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in General Psychology with additional work in Business and Anthropology. Katelyn continues to teach at Oregon State University as a faculty member in the Physical Activity Program in the School of Biological and Population Health Sciences.
Katelyn’s commitment to the disenfranchised youth is unwavering. She has worked with Portland’s Love INC in their annual Packed with Love Events reaching out to school children and their families, and continues to volunteer as a head coach each summer with Hoop Camp, a unified basketball camp for special needs athletes and all children ages 6 – 13. She also traveled to Martha’s Vineyard to be a counselor at Camp Jabberwocky, a one-month residential summer camp for mentally and/or physically disabled adults and teens. Katelyn is currently working with our Youth Advisory Board and the national expansion of ASPCC.
Matt Larson
The Human Improvement Project
Matt is a parenting/relationships researcher, technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He has been interviewed about the science of well-being on NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, Sirius XM, Telemundo, public radio, and websites like Parentology.com and Mom.com. He spends most of his time on the Human Improvement Project but is also the chairman of two software companies.
Previously, he was the executive chairman of TapInfluence a venture-backed Social Media company. Prior to TapInfluence, he was the Founder and CEO of Confio Software. Confio was the fastest growing company in the database tools market. It was acquired in 2013 by Solarwinds (NYSE: SWI).
Previously, Mr. Larson helped found an oil and gas technology company. In the span of a year, the company grew from four employees to over two hundred employees while raising over $110 million in venture capital. In 2012, Mr. Larson was named an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. Mr. Larson holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Colorado where he graduated 1st in his class. He is a member of the Mensa Society. Mr. Larson has also worked with the U.S. Congress and the White House to fund over $300 million in new spending for child-related causes.
DR. CLIFF LEWIS
Dr. Cliff Lewis received his PhD in Physics with specialization in Chaos Theory and Nonlinear Dynamics from the University of California, San Diego in 2001. He held the position of Assistant Vice President at Science Applications International Corporation where he managed data-intensive technology programs for the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security in the areas of biotechnology, 3-D tomography, information science, and signal processing.
Dr. Lewis started Think Tank Analytics in 2011 and has effectively provided clients with successful product development in many different areas of data science, including Wearables and Personalized medicine, Predictive Financial Analytics, Fitness Analytics, Signal Processing for Biotechnology, and Data-Intensive Mobile App Development for smartphones. He has also co-authored numerous patents and publications in these data-centric areas.
Our Commitment
American SPCC is committed to providing life-changing resources to families across the globe. We know that by empowering parents, caregivers, educators and child advocates with research-backed tools, resources, knowledge, and positive parenting support, we can break generational trauma and build brighter futures.
Please consider supporting our work here: