Bev Moore-Davis was named the Atlantic Books Today number one local bestselling author in Newfoundland and Labrador for 2021, but she's doing more than just putting pen to paper.
In her debut book, White Picket Monsters, Moore-Davis talks openly about how she was abused by her adoptive parents for more than 13 years.
The book opened a public dialogue on child abuse and its author also helped roll out a brand new pilot program for schools in N.L.
"As a first-time writer and writing on such a sensitive issue, I really didn't know what to expect," Moore-Davis told CBC News on Thursday.
"Child abuse and child sexual abuse have been somewhat of taboo topics for generations."
She said the response to her personal story has been positive overall and shows the true impact abuse has on children.
Moore-Davis is also director of the board for Newfoundland and Labrador's first child, youth and advocacy centre and is founder of the Miles for Smiles Foundation which raises awareness and prevention of child abuse.
Pilot project
In December, the Department of Education announced it would begin a pilot project to start a body safety education program.
Moore-Davis said the program, called Kids in the Know, was created from the Canadian Centre of Child Protection. The program has already been rolled out in other provinces. Nova Scotia has been using it for 12 years and New Brunswick seven years, Moore-Davis said.
"It deals with child abuse, sexual exploitation, cyber-bullying and overall wellness of children," she said. "I'm thrilled that there's going to be a program [here]. We have not had anything, and I think it's really sad, in fact."
In a statement to CBC News, the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD) said Moore-Davis and former RNC chief Joe Boland were instrumental in getting the program to Newfoundland and Labrador. The NLESD met with Moore-Davis and Boland in 2019 as both were advocating for Kids in the Know to be mandated for all schools.
The NLESD said it has promoted the Kids in the Know website as a supplementary resource for the internet and social media safety program since 2014, and "had been looking further into the program since learning more details about it."
The program is now ready to be rolled out to 18 classrooms, and will focus on students from kindergarten to Grade 3, according to the NLESD.
"Program kits have arrived and will be distributed to schools this month, along with the planned professional learning required for teachers and administrators," the statement reads.
"Once these pieces are complete, each school will begin to pilot the program with a focus on consent education and personal safety."
The NLESD said the pilot schools were chosen as an "appropriate sample of regions and grade configurations," and once the pilot review is complete, the district will make decisions on potential expansion or adoption of the program.
Moore-Davis said teachers have been reaching out to her after reading her book, saying they've learned a lot about child abuse and reflected on situations where they suspected something was wrong with a student. She said teachers are now learning how to approach and react to those situations.
"Teachers are waiting, and wanting and they're so excited for this," Moore-Davis said. "It needs to be in every classroom throughout the entire province."
