Category: Project Updates

Welcome to our Fall newsletter with the latest updates on our pilot program, Dress Purple Day along with a few of the recent findings in Raising Canada's 2023 report. DASA/YRP Pilot Program To guide planning and resource allocation for the future CYAC, we launched a DASA/YRP pilot in September 2022. Both organizations collected data during the six-month period between September 2022 and March 2023. The information collected included case counts…

May

2023

It’s been four years since we started Project Hope. We can all be proud of the work that has been accomplished during this time: from researching and selecting a co-located model, to developing a business plan and governance model, to launching our first pilot program with DASA and YRP. Communicating the value of a CYAC for York Region has also been a key priority to ensure support across stakeholders and…

December

2022

Since our last update in the Spring, we’re excited to share with you the latest developments for Project Hope along with a recent study that provides new analysis on social return on investment results for CYACs in British Columbia. Pilot programs YRP/DASA referralsThis September we launched a pilot program focused on supporting referrals from YRP to DASA for sexual abuse cases. The purpose of this pilot is to look at…

May

2022

The Project Hope team has been busy over this last year developing a pilot program, planning office designs for the ideal shared space, and attending the annual National CYAC-CAE Network Conference. Below is an update on our progress. Pilot program This fall we are launching a pilot program focused on supporting referrals from YRP to DASA for sexual assault/abuse. A working group has been formed to develop a logic model,…

June

2021

We are excited to report on the progress we’ve made over the last few months.The Planning Committee continues to meet regularly and has almost finalized the ideal workflow for York Region’s Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC). Partners are working on estimates for resource and space requirements to help us better understand the size of building we will need to house the new Centre. As previously highlighted in our timeline,…

March

2021

As we continue to develop the region’s first Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, it is important that we create awareness and secure support from the communities the Centre will serve. To that end, we have developed specific campaigns and initiatives around public and government relations and general community awareness that we’d like to share with you here. In early January, we reached out to news sources in York Region and…

December

2020

We are excited to welcome Jewish Family and Child Service and Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services to the CYAC partnership. As critical, legislated service providers, they will help ensure that the future Child & Youth Advocacy Centre not only reflects the needs of our community but also ensures that clients have access to culturally appropriate services. Jewish Family and Child Service is a multi-service agency that strengthens and supports…

September

2020

As we continue to navigate these challenging times, our hearts go out to all the health care professionals and other essential service workers who are risking their lives every day to take care of us. The #stayhome orders have certainly helped to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases over the past several months. Unfortunately, there are unintended consequences to having everyone shelter at home. Reports released over the last several…

May

2020

These last few months have been an extremely challenging time, unlike anything we’ve seen or had to deal with in our lifetime. Our hearts go out to all the health care professionals and other essential service workers who are risking their lives every day to take care of us. Stress is a contributing factor for abuse, particularly physical abuse. During the pandemic, adults are experiencing increased levels of stress, and…

December

2019

CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

Imagine a place where all children and youth in York Region who have experienced physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect feel welcome and safe. A place where criminal justice, child protection, and mental health services are fully integrated and under one roof. A place where multi-disciplined teams are committed to ensuring that our processes do not cause further harm. A place where everyone is dedicated to ensuring the right…

January

2024

YORK REGION, January 30, 2024 – Cedar Centre is thrilled to announce its recent accreditation by Imagine Canada, a prestigious milestone that highlights the organization's unwavering dedication to transparency, accountability, and excellence in their work in the Child & Youth Mental Health, Adult Mental Health and Addictions, Violence Against Women, and Anti-Human Trafficking sectors. The Standards is a recognized nonprofit accreditation created to provide best practices that help organizations improve…

January

2021

YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

NEWMARKET, Ontario - Cedar Centre, the leading provider of trauma-specific therapyto children, youth, and adults in York Region who have experienced interpersonalchildhood trauma, announced today their intention to create the region’s first Child andYouth Advocacy Centre (CYAC). In partnership with York Regional Police, York RegionChildren’s Aid Society, Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services, andJewish Family and Child Service, the CYAC will ensure these children and youth whohave experienced physical, sexual,…

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October 2023

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Welcome to our Fall newsletter with the latest updates on our pilot program, Dress Purple Day along with a few of the recent findings in Raising Canada’s 2023 report.

DASA/YRP Pilot Program

To guide planning and resource allocation for the future CYAC, we launched a DASA/YRP pilot in September 2022. Both organizations collected data during the six-month period between September 2022 and March 2023. The information collected included case counts for physical and sexual assault, referral source, age of the child/youth, and investigation status. It was agreed that data collection would continue into the fall. Below are a few of the other recommendations noted in the report:

Provide DASA information/training sessions to community agencies in York Region who respond to child abuse cases (Victim Services, for example)
Add case conferences between DASA and YRP detectives to review the material for more complex cases.
Add more nurses to the DASA team to provide 24/7 coverage in the Region, thereby eliminating the need for redirects to distant hospitals.
Consider having a DASA satellite unit at one of the other hospitals in York Region to increase ease of access to forensic medical services.

Dress Purple Day

Every October Children’s Aid Societies across the province raise awareness about the important role that individuals and communities play in supporting vulnerable children, youth, and families. Dress Purple Day offers an opportunity to raise awareness among children and youth, including elementary, middle, and high school students, about their right to safety and well-being in all spaces. Not just physical safety and well-being—children and youth have the right to have their intersectional identity, which includes culture, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity, protected and supported in all spaces. This year, Dress Purple Day will take place on Friday, October 27, 2023. In honour of our partner, and Children’s Aid Societies across Ontario, we will support their campaign by encouraging our staff, community and other partners, to wear something purple on October 27th to show children, youth, and families that we are here to help!

Details of the campaign can be found HERE

Raising Canada 2023 Report

Raising Canada released their 6th annual report tracking the top 10 threats to childhood. In this latest report Child Abuse has moved up from 4th top threat to 3rd. It states that nearly two-thirds (60%) of Canadians report experiencing some form of maltreatment before the age of 15. The report goes on to explain that this new finding represents a more comprehensive understanding of child maltreatment across Canada than has been previously reported through other surveys, which estimated 33% of Canadians experienced maltreatment in childhood. We encourage you to visit Children First Canada and read their 2023 Raising Canada Report.

We wish you all an enjoyable fall and look forward to updating you in our next newsletter.

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CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

January

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YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

Our Funder

This project would not be possible without the generous support of our funder.

May 2023

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Communicating the value of a CYAC for York Region has also been a key priority to ensure support across stakeholders and the community. Over this time, we’ve released nine newsletters to our Board, CAST and partner organizations, reached over 2,000 visitors through our website, been featured on various regional news sites, published over 50 social posts, and now we’re relaunching our government relations campaign, which was put on hold during COVID-19.

We’re thrilled to announce Cedar Centre will be receiving five additional years of funding for the development of the CYAC from the Department of Justice Canada for the period of April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2028. Key deliverables for this grant include:

the design, implementation, and evaluation of two pilots (Child & Youth Advocate role, case conferences);
the evaluation of one full year of the DASA/YRP pilot that began in September 2022;
completion of various activities related to the operations of the CYAC such as business plans, development of policies, procedures and additional Memos of Understanding;
execution of a comprehensive, multi-tiered government relations plan;
development of communication material to support the Capital Campaign;
securing space, and preparing space for operations; and developing detailed transition plans for the move to the CYAC.

We are grateful to the Department of Justice Canada for their continued confidence in the team. The work being done by the entire team to make Project Hope a reality would not be possible without the financial support from the DOJC.

DASA/YRP Pilot

We’ve made significant progress with the DASA/YRP pilot since starting the pilot in September 2022. A report is being written to highlight findings from the first six-months of data collection, which included conducting focus groups with YRP detectives from the Crimes Against Children unit and a debrief with the team from DASA.

We will continue to collect data on sexual and physical assault cases to inform resource planning needs until September 2023. A final report will be written in Fall 2023 to capture the full year of learning.

National CAC-CYAC Conference

Representatives from CACs and CYACs from coast to coast to coast gathered on March 8-9, 2023 to showcase some of the work being done across the country. The conference took place in Kelowna, British Columbia and participants had the option to attend in-person or virtually. Topics presented included:

the process used by one CYAC to become a trauma-informed organization;
a review of cultural considerations to be mindful of when working with Indigenous children and youth during investigations; and
the role of caregivers in providing support to children and youth following a disclosure of physical and/or sexual abuse.

Attendees were also provided with an update on the formation of a National Association which is on track to be formally established in 2023.

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CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

January

2024

January

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YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

Our Funder

This project would not be possible without the generous support of our funder.

December 2022

Posted on

Pilot programs

YRP/DASA referrals
This September we launched a pilot program focused on supporting referrals from YRP to DASA for sexual abuse cases. The purpose of this pilot is to look at all of our processes through a continuous improvement lens to ensure that we are minimizing opportunities where our processes may contribute to the
re-traumatization of the victim/family. Several initiatives were undertaken to support the launch of this pilot, including:

the development of a logic model outlining resources, activities,
deliverables, outcomes and evaluation,
the development of data collection tools, and
updates to the Procedures Manual and current Child Abuse Protocol.

We look forward to sharing progress on this pilot in future newsletters.

Child & Youth Advocate
A key element to a successful CYAC is the inclusion of a Child & Youth Advocate. The core functions of this role are to walk alongside the child and family throughout the process, orient the families to the CYAC and its process, and act as a bridge between families and MDTs. Earlier this year, it was agreed that York Region’s CYAC will follow the professional volunteer model, similar to the one used by the Luna Child & Youth Advocacy Centre in Calgary. Cedar Centre started to develop the Professional Volunteer Model earlier this fall.

Social ROI Report

Earlier this year, the British Columbia Network of Child & Youth Advocacy Centres initiated a study to measure the social and economic value of the work being done by CYACs in BC. The study includes data from eight operating CYACs in BC. The Social Return On Investment (SROI) analysis revealed a 1:5.54 ratio meaning that for every dollar invested in CYACs, approximately $5.54 in social and economic value is created.

The key areas where significant value is created include:

increased efficiencies for BC’s systems including healthcare, education, justice,
child protection, and policing,
improved quality of work for CYAC management and staff, MDT members, and partner agencies, and
wellbeing and quality of life changes for children and their families.

Learn more about this study and the results here.

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CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

January

2024

January

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YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

Our Funder

This project would not be possible without the generous support of our funder.

May 2022

Posted on

Pilot program

This fall we are launching a pilot program focused on supporting referrals from YRP to DASA for sexual assault/abuse. A working group has been formed to develop a logic model, implementation plan, ongoing analysis and result tracking.

Space design

A design firm has been retained to create some visual/mood boards for the interior space for Cedar Centre’s new home. This new home will also house Project Hope. As a co-location model, teams from each of the partner agencies will have office space in the new building. The designs are being developed in consultation with Project Hope partners and planning committee members. The visual/mood boards will provide very useful visual references to share with potential funders and donors.

National CYAC-CAC Network Conference

The annual CYAC-CAC network conference took place virtually in early March. It is a wonderful opportunity for representatives from CYACs-CACs from across the country to come together to learn from each other. The number of CYACs-CACs coming online across Canada continues to grow. We are now 30 strong from coast to coast to coast with another dozen centres in development. Two presentations of particular relevance to Project Hope are highlighted below:

Remote Testimony

Research indicates the quality of testimony increases and system-related stressors are reduced when a child/youth can testify from a place that feels safe and familiar (Nathanson & Saywitz, 2003). More CYACs-CACs across Canada are creating space to accommodate children and youth testimony to take place on site as another way to reduce system-induced re-victimization. Two CYACs with remote testimony capability (Luna and Boost) are collaborating to conduct an evaluation of this service. Both multi-disciplinary team members and caregivers will be engaged in the evaluation process. Results are expected in Fall 2022.

Trauma-Aware Program

All CYACs-CACs are committed to working in a trauma-informed manner. Being Trauma Aware is a program that has been developed for organizations that serve children and youth. It is not a clinical training tool but rather a training for all staff and management of an organization to complete. The program is a free, e-learning tool that can be completed at your own pace. The objectives of this program are:

To understand trauma
To learn how trauma impacts childhood development
To be able to recognize when trauma might be affecting a child’s behaviour.

For more information on this program, please click here.

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CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

January

2024

January

2021

YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

Our Funder

This project would not be possible without the generous support of our funder.

June 2021

Posted on

We are excited to report on the progress we’ve made over the last few months.
The Planning Committee continues to meet regularly and has almost finalized the ideal workflow for York Region’s Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC). Partners are working on estimates for resource and space requirements to help us better understand the size of building we will need to house the new Centre.

As previously highlighted in our timeline, our plan is to launch a pilot program in the Fall of 2022. A key element to establishing a pilot will be to confirm how coordination between core service providers can be improved to create a more cohesive experience for children, youth, and their families. Increasing access to mental health services earlier in their experience will be one of the elements we consider, among several others.

Our focus over the next several months will be on confirming which of these elements will be part of the pilot, setting objectives for the pilot, and determining how we will track progress against those objectives.

Raising awareness and support

Securing government support is critical to the long-term success of the CYAC. Earlier this spring we began inviting officials to sign a pledge to the children, youth, and families of York Region as a way to start conversations about this regional project with various levels of government. We are excited to share that we have already received support from several individuals.

The Pledge:

I believe in the importance of protecting and helping all children and youth of York Region; in supporting families, parents, and caregivers to be their best; and in organizations and individuals working together toward a common goal of keeping our children and youth safe.

This initiative will continue through the summer and fall and we’ll be posting a list of pledge supporters on our website later this year.

#codePink

Children First Canada is a national charitable organization that harnesses the strength of many organizations and individuals to advocate for and with children and youth in Canada. Last month, they launched a campaign called #codePink. This is a term used by doctors when there is a paediatric emergency. Given recent statistics, Children First Canada, together with Canada’s top children’s hospitals and advocacy organizations, are calling for an emergency response (#codePink) by Canada’s first ministers for the crisis facing the children and youth across our country. Here are some statistics from a recent report released by Children First Canada:

Suicide attempt admissions have increased by 100% on average during the pandemic
Admissions for substance-use disorders have increased by 200%
70% of kids aged 6 to 18 report that the pandemic has harmed their mental health in at least one area, such as anxiety or attention span
Child abuse rates have risen sharply, with a 100% increase in cases of infants presenting with fractures and head trauma since September 2020

Learn more about this initiative and how you can show your support by visiting Children First Canada.

Child and Youth Advocacy Centres across Canada

Since starting this journey to develop York Region’s first Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, we continue to be amazed and thankful for the support and openness we’ve received from so many CYACs across Canada. Whether we were asking them to share their experiences, their opinions or details on their processes and protocols, they have all been willing to take time from their busy schedules to talk with us.

In appreciation of all the support we have received, we want to share some of the exciting things happening at CYACs across Canada.

Marie-Vincent Foundation (CYAC), Montréal, Québec
The number of young people who disclose sexual violence is increasing, creating additional need for therapeutic services for these young people. In response to the increased demand for services, Marie-Vincent Foundation is opening a second site in Montréal. The new site will be located in the Montérégie region.

Child & Youth Advocacy Centre Simcoe/Muskoka, Ontario
The Simcoe/Muskoka Child & Youth Advocacy Centre covers a significant area, spanning approximately 8,700km2. While this CYAC currently has two locations, one in Barrie and one in Muskoka, travel time for clients as well as MDT partners was identified as a barrier to seeking and providing service. In order to remove this barrier, the team at Simcoe/Muskoka CYAC is piloting a mobile response unit. This unit will not only include high-quality portable interviewing equipment but also an Advocate and a fully-accredited facility canine.

Sanare Centre, Medicine Hat, Alberta
This spring, the Sexual Assault Response Committee has opened their Child & Youth Advocacy Centre and renamed it Sanare, a latin word for healing.

Chinook Sexual Assault Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta
The Chinook Sexual Assault Centre recently launched a campaign called ‘Give Hope. Give Support.’ to help bring a Child Advocacy Centre to Lethbridge, Alberta. Currently there are seven CYACs across Alberta with the closest ones in Medicine Hat and Calgary. They hope to open the new centre by the end of this year.

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CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

January

2024

January

2021

YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

Our Funder

This project would not be possible without the generous support of our funder.

March 2021

Posted on

In early January, we reached out to news sources in York Region and are excited to share that YorkRegion.com ran two stories over the past two months and NewmarketToday.com also shared our story. Alison Peck, Cedar Centre’s Executive Director reinforced the importance of creating the CYAC in the following quote:

“It’s our responsibility as a community to come in and wrap our services and work together in a way that makes the most sense from a justice and a mental health and a health and welfare perspective for that child and their family,” said Cedar Centre executive director Alison Peck.

VIEW ARTICLE

VIEW ARTICLE

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These articles were shared through Cedar Centre’s Facebook page along with our partners’ social pages driving a 23% increase in traffic to our website across January and February compared to the two months prior.

We have also prepared a series of social media posts that will help keep our followers and community informed of our progress, and aware of relevant statistics on child abuse in Canada.

As part of our government relations campaign, we created a pledge to engage provincial, regional, and municipal representatives, and representatives of the Chippewa First Nations of Georgina Island asking for their support. The pledge states:

In the coming months, we will be reaching out to representatives across the Region to familiarize them with our regional initiative and invite them to sign the pledge.

Model development

We continue to focus on mapping out the ideal workflow with the Planning Committee. As a co-located model, there will be changes to the existing Child Abuse Systems Team protocol. Based on elements needed for a gold-standard CYAC, we are building out the following elements:

Multidisciplinary Team (MDT)
Forensic Interview
Victim Support and Advocacy
Medical Evaluation, Mental Health
Child-Focused Setting
Case Review
Case Tracking
Organizational Capacity
Cultural Competency and Diversity

National CAC/CYAC conference highlights

The National CAC/CYAC network conference, “Adversity – A Stepping Stone to Success” was held virtually in early March. Attendees from coast to coast to coast were in attendance, including representatives from Cedar Centre. With over 40 CACs/CYACs in operation in Canada, open discussions about formalizing the Canadian National network were a focal point of the conference. Guest speakers Teresa Huizar (National Children’s Alliance) and Chris Newlin (National Children’s Advocacy Centre) inspired us with their wisdom about the CYAC model and their experiences with establishing a formal National Association in the USA. Chris described CYACs as “a revolutionary way to respond to child abuse”.

Both speakers spoke to the importance of:

securing commitment from senior leadership teams across all partner organizations to endorse the CYAC as playing an indispensable role in the response to child abuse;
educating policy makers about the model and its benefits to the children/youth it serves and to communities as a whole, and;
establishing representatives within CYACs as experts that are called upon by policy makers at all levels of government for advice and guidance.

An immediate next step will be to establish a steering committee to begin the process of examining what a National Association could look like in Canada.

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CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

January

2024

January

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YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

Our Funder

This project would not be possible without the generous support of our funder.

December 2020

Posted on

Jewish Family and Child Service is a multi-service agency that strengthens and supports individuals, children, families and communities by increasing safety and security, improving mental health and wellness and reducing the effects of poverty, within the context of Jewish values. The charitable tradition of Jewish Family and Child Service dates back to 1868, when the Toronto Hebrew Ladies’ Sick and Benevolent Society was granted a charter to raise funds and help the growing number of poor Jewish immigrants. There were no paid staff and a budget of only a few hundred dollars. Today, Jewish Family and Child Service has a staff of more than 120 and a budget of over $24 million. They are continually adapting to changing community needs. Poverty, violence and abuse touch this community, and they respond with a wide range of services and programs designed to intervene and assist. Through their four dynamic locations in the Greater Toronto Area, they now provide as many as 30 community programs and services.

Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services was founded in 1998 and is a multi-service Indigenous child and family wellbeing agency. They provide a stable foundation for children, youth, and families, through wraparound services that are culturally-based and family-focused. They began secondments of their staff being placed within partner CASs in May 2017. Over time, their staff have built their capacity and have also benefited from additional mandatory Indigenous Wholistic Practice Training. In February 2019, the government of Ontario designated Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services as a Children’s Aid Society.

We couldn’t be more excited to have them join us along with York Region Children’s Aid Society and York Regional Police in our goal of building York Region’s first Child & Youth Advocacy Centre.

Latest report on the health of Canada’s children

Children First Canada and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) have both released reports tracking the impacts of COVID-19 on Canadians. Findings from both organizations suggest that COVID-19 is having a negative impact on children, youth and adults in Canada. Here are a few highlights:

Children First Canada’s Raising Canada 2020 Report:

57% of participants aged 15-17 report that their mental health was “somewhat worse” or “much worse” than it was prior to physical distancing measures
Only 4.8% of children (aged 5-11) and 0.8% of youth (aged 12-17) were meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines, raising significant concerns about their lack of physical activity and its impact on both their physical and mental health
Almost one in seven Canadians said they were living in a household where they experienced food insecurity in the past 30 days
“Loneliness” was the third most-used word kids between the ages of 10 and 17 used to describe how they’ve felt in recent weeks.

CAMH reports:

Seven out of 10 Ontarians believe that there will be a ‘serious mental health crisis’ as a result of the pandemic
50% of Canadians reported worsening mental health since the pandemic began with many feeling worried (44%) and anxious (41%)
One in 10 Canadians polled said that their mental health had worsened ‘a lot’ as a result of COVID-19
81% of Canadian workers who responded to a survey reported that the pandemic is negatively impacting their mental health, indicating a significant drop in overall worker mental health since the beginning of COVID-19
25% of Canadians aged 35-54 and 21% of those aged 18-34 have increased their alcohol consumption since social distancing and self-isolation due to COVID-19

The negative impacts COVID-19 has had, and will continue to have, on children, family and health care workers reminds us how critical our services are and how important it is for us to continue to be there for the children and youth of York Region.

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CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

January

2024

January

2021

YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

Our Funder

This project would not be possible without the generous support of our funder.

September 2020

Posted on

The #stayhome orders have certainly helped to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases over the past several months. Unfortunately, there are unintended consequences to having everyone shelter at home. Reports released over the last several months are confirming the negative impacts #stayhome has had on children and youth in our communities.

Based on Toronto Foundation’s April 30th report, text messages to Kids Help Phone regarding emotional and sexual abuse have increased by over 20% since the start of COVID-19 and messages about physical abuse are up by 15%.

*Toronto Foundation, Better Toronto Coalition Hub, COVID Research Briefs: COVID-19 and the repercussions for mental health in Toronto

According to A.M. Campbell’s recent article titled ‘An increasing risk of family violence during the Covid-19 pandemic: Strengthening community collaborations to save lives’, “studies indicate the increased rates of domestic violence reported after a natural disaster often extend for several months after the catastrophic event occurs. In fact, a study looking at the aftermath of natural disasters in the United States and Canada found domestic violence victim service requests increased for an entire year following the event.”

Given the reports and studies mentioned above, and with schools opened again, we must be prepared for an increase in reporting as COVID-19 continues.

The pandemic and these reports have further strengthened our commitment to establishing York Region’s first Child & Youth Advocacy Centre. We need to ensure that once the abuse is reported, these children and youth get the best support possible, without further trauma.

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CEDAR CENTRE ACHIEVES IMAGINE CANADA ACCREDITATION, DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

January

2024

January

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YORK REGION TO GET ITS FIRST CHILD & YOUTH ADVOCACY CENTRE

Our Funder

This project would not be possible without the generous support of our funder.

May 2020

Posted on

Stress is a contributing factor for abuse, particularly physical abuse. During the pandemic, adults are experiencing increased levels of stress, and are struggling more than ever to provide safe and stable home environments. During #stayhome, these children and youth are at increased risk as they are unable to receive support from safe adults they would typically interact with on a regular basis: teachers, after-school program leaders, medical and mental health professionals to name a few.

Across the country, the number of reports about concerns for the safety of children and youth have dropped significantly since #stayhome began. We believe this is because children and youth are not in school, or in after-school programs, or visiting professionals where they can talk to a safe adult who can help them. At the same time, reports of domestic violence are on the rise and children and youth in these homes are also victims of crime.

This video was produced by Snowflake Place Child and Youth Advocacy Centre for use by all organizations in the National CYAC network.

The pandemic has further strengthened our commitment to establishing York Region’s first Child & Youth Advocacy Centre. We need to ensure that once the abuse is reported, these children and youth get the best support possible, without further trauma.

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