Making Churches Safe: The Sanctuary Movement for Children Explained

In this special "West Lawn Compendium" episode of Birdman at the Arizona Legislature, Birdman spends four hours—10 a.m. to 2 p.m.—interviewing advocates, parents, candidates, and citizens during Early Childhood Legislation Day at the Arizona Capitol.   Unlike official legislative agendas set by the House or Senate, advocacy days are organized by individuals and groups who come to lobby, educate, and share lived experiences with lawmakers. This particular day centered largely on early childhood development, childcare access, and family policy—but as always at the Capitol, the conversations extended beyond a single issue. On this episode of Birdman at the Arizona Legislature, Birdman continues his day on the West Lawn with a powerful and deeply personal conversation about child safety, faith communities, and systemic reform.   Heidi Miller joins the show to discuss the Sanctuary Movement for Children — an initiative focused on making churches, schools, homes, and public spaces safer for children. Drawing from her background in Christian studies and social work, Heidi highlights how abuse and domestic violence often go unaddressed in faith communities — and why education, awareness, and prevention must start at the pulpit.   She explains her "Sabbath for the Children" services, designed to educate congregations about child welfare and proper responses to abuse victims — including how mishandling disclosures can re-traumatize survivors. The conversation expands into:   Faith community accountability National child protection training models Multidisciplinary abuse response teams The role of the National Child Abuse Hotline Reform ideas for Arizona's Department of Child Safety (DCS)     Heidi also shares firsthand experience navigating DCS systems and argues for streamlined, case-managed approaches that are both more effective and more cost-efficient.   This episode explores a topic that doesn't center around one specific bill — but around culture, systems, and responsibility. It's a candid look at how community institutions can either fail children — or protect them.   If you care about child safety, faith community reform, foster care systems, or DCS accountability in Arizona, this is a conversation worth hearing.   🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.   🌐 Official Site: https://birdman.media       Support Our Sponsors     This episode is brought to you with the support of our premium sponsor:   Sitgreaves Community Development Corporation   Supporting our sponsors helps keep Birdman Media™ independent and producing the content others won't.     © Birdman Media™. All rights reserved.