I understand completely. I find that any "interest" I may take in children could ultimately be used to suggest I'm a molestor or something. That is so extremely loathesome to me, I will simply avoid the situation entirely. I don't and won't have children because my wife is unable. I so love and cherish my nieces and nephews I cannot fathom the heart of a molestor. It's not in my nature to understand evil I suppose. Who can harm an innocent like that? I mean...what mechanism is broken in their head? Whatever it is, I'm ok with fairly quick execution.
I may have been the first adult male authority figure who took some interest in them - as in getting them to hit the books, since there is no money in track and field. Had to do more with teaching self discipline. I am still in contact with some of those people, after they had gone on to college degrees, careers, etc. These were kids who were otherwise written off, yet most went on to accoplish something. It is sad that in today's culture the actions of a handful of evil people fires up the paranoia of of the public, where anyone working with children, especially on a volunteer basis, is under suspicion. The good people are afraid to get involved because of the risks, and the kids lose.
No, I am not a bleeding heart liberal. I believe that charity is best and most effective when it is from individuals and voluntary, not from the state bureaucrats funded by tax dollars confiscated from individuals. In the latter the bureaucrat is interested primarily by keeping his/her job by keeping people dependent. In the former the people giving are directly involved and directly interested in seeing the long term real benefit to those given. When I saw that, I was on the road to becoming a conservative.