The Rowan Center-A Sexual Assault Resource Agency

02/20/2026

You are seen, you are believed, and you are not alone.

If you or someone you know has experienced s*xual violence, you can get immediate, confidential support through The Rowan Center’s 24/7 hotline. A caring, trained advocate will listen, provide resources, and help you with your next steps. You don’t have to face it alone—reach out today.

📞 24/7 English Hotline: (203) 329-2929
📞 24/7 Spanish Hotline: (888) 568-8332

02/19/2026

As we reflected on the past year in our latest annual report, one thing was clear—the need for our services is growing. More survivors are reaching out, parents are seeking support earlier, and schools and community partners are asking for more prevention education.

In the 2024/2025 year, we met that need by providing 8,244 total services for victims and survivors; 4,093 helpline calls; 1,141 Trauma Recovery Clinic sessions; 6,976 crisis counseling services, including accompaniments to hospitals, police stations, and courtrooms; a 68% increase in outreach activities; and 224 referrals to partner organizations.

Let's continue to grow together. Learn more at therowancenter.org/annual-report

02/12/2026

Black History Month is not only history—it’s ongoing work.

The movement to end s*xual violence has always been shaped by Black advocates, organizers, and healers who insisted that survival, dignity, and justice belong together. Before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in 1955, she was a s*xual assault investigator. In her early years with the NAACP, she worked to protect Black men from false accusations and lynchings, and to ensure Black survivors of s*xual violence by white perpetrators could seek justice. She also led a national campaign against s*xual assaults on Black women.

We hold gratitude for that legacy and responsibility to carry it forward in how we listen, how we lead, and how we build safety today.

02/06/2026

Over the past few years, the work at The Rowan Center has changed. More survivors of s*xual violence and trauma are reaching out, and the complexity of what we are being asked to hold has grown. Parents are seeking support earlier, particularly around the risks children face online. Schools and community partners are asking for more prevention education because the research is clear: education makes a difference.

As the work evolved, the way we show up evolved, too.

This year’s Annual Report reflects that shift—bringing The Rowan Center, the Trauma Recovery Practice, and KidSafeHQ together under one shared identity, grounded in the same purpose: preventing harm, responding to crisis, and supporting healing over time.

➡️ Read the full 2024–2025 Annual Report at therowancenter.org/annual-report

We’re grateful to the donors and partners who made this year of growth possible.

01/29/2026

Last week, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act was signed into law—an important step forward for trafficking survivors nationwide. This legislation recognizes that survivors who were forced or coerced into non-violent crimes should not carry lifelong criminal records for their exploitation, helping remove barriers to housing, employment, and stability so survivors have a real chance to heal and rebuild.

Washington, D.C. — Today, President Trump signed into law Congressman Russell Fry’s (SC-07) Trafficking Survivors Relief Act in the Oval Office, with Congressman Fry in attendance, marking a major victory for survivors of human trafficking and a critical step toward restoring justice for those ...

01/28/2026

Human Trafficking Awareness Month is almost over, but the reality isn’t.

Trafficking happens here every day. Awareness helps, but access to real support matters more.

That’s why we’re still here. Listening. Showing up. Walking with survivors.

Not just in January. Always.

➡️ Find tools, education, and ways to take action at
therowancenter.org/get-involved/human-trafficking-awareness-month

01/23/2026

Wednesday’s Fairfield County Anti-Trafficking Coalition Symposium reminded us why coming together matters.

We’re deeply thankful to our partner hosts—PEHT : Partnership to End Human Trafficking, The Center for Family Justice, Inc., and Fairfield University's Murphy Center for Ignatian Spirituality—for creating space for honest learning and meaningful conversation. We’re also grateful to the panelists, partners, and community members who showed up ready to engage with complex and often uncomfortable realities.

As our CEO, Sharon Walker Epps, shared, “The panels sparked both inspiration and fear. That combination matters.”

Thank you to the National Center on S*xual Exploitation, World Without Exploitation, Stamford Police Department CT, Stratford Police Department, Love146, CT Department of Children and Families, and to the brave survivor who shared her story so openly. And thank you to Fairfield University for hosting.

We’re grateful to be learning, collaborating, and moving forward together—for survivors and for our community.

01/22/2026

We often think of trafficking as a faraway problem or one perpetrated by strangers who kidnap children, but trafficking is often perpetrated by someone who knows the victim and uses grooming to establish trust and control over them.

One way to protect your child is to work with them to make a list of trusted adults that they can talk to about anything. These should be adults you both agree are safe. Let the adults on the list know they are on it, and outline expectations for privacy with your child and each trusted adult.

If you or someone you know has experienced s*xual violence, abuse, harassment, or exploitation- whether in person or online- get immediate, confidential support through The Rowan Center’s 24/7 hotline. A caring, trained advocate will listen, provide resources, and help you with your next steps. You don’t have to face it alone—reach out today.

☎️ 24/7 English Hotline: (203) 329-2929
☎️ 24/7 Spanish Hotline: (888) 568-8332

01/13/2026

Grooming is a methodical process in which someone builds a trusting relationship with a child or young adult (and their family and community) to eventually manipulate or force the victim to engage in s*xual activities and exploitation. Grooming can take place in person OR online, and it's important that parents and caregivers understand what it is and how to respond if they suspect their child is being exploited.

If you or someone you know has experienced s*xual violence, abuse, harassment, or exploitation- whether in person or online- get immediate, confidential support through The Rowan Center’s 24/7 hotline. A caring, trained advocate will listen, provide resources, and help you with your next steps. You don’t have to face it alone—reach out today.

☎️ 24/7 English Hotline: (203) 329-2929
☎️ 24/7 Spanish Hotline: (888) 568-8332

01/11/2026

is today. We’re wearing blue to shine a light on human trafficking and the ways it affects our own community.

S*x trafficking can happen anywhere, including communities in Lower Fairfield County. It IS happening here. Children account for about 38% of identified trafficking victims, and girls are disproportionately exploited. Online spaces increasingly function as a recruitment and coercion channel, and financially motivated s*xtortion has surged in our communities, with boys aged 12-17 the primary targets.

Be aware, get involved, and let's all work together to protect our communities from s*x trafficking and exploitation.

If you’re wearing blue today, share a photo and tag us. 💙

01/09/2026

Join us for the Fairfield County Anti-Trafficking Coalition Symposium—a day of learning, connection, and shared commitment to preventing human trafficking and supporting survivors in our community.

📅 January 21, 2026, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.
📍 Fairfield University – Alumni Hall
➡️ Registration is required. Reserve your spot at therowancenter.org/fcatc

Hosted by PEHT : Partnership to End Human Trafficking, The Rowan Center, and The Center for Family Justice, Inc., this in-person symposium brings together advocates, professionals, students, and community members who want to strengthen how we respond—locally and collectively.