Colleen McCourt
There’s a very cut-and-dry saying that goes "People need people," but what does that mean to you?
Ontario's Children’s Aid Societies are launching a campaign to have people dress in purple next Friday, October 27, 2023, to raise awareness for their services for helping children and enforcing their rights across the province.
We're fortunate to have opportunities, even the ones we may deem as "Essentials" but there are people out there who are facing challenges. For them, support and assistance can make a world of difference, but the first step is being able to ask for it, which may be difficult, especially for today’s youth.
There are 50 Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) across Ontario, and for them, October marks not only the introduction to the holiday season but the beginning of a season where youth in need may need a lot more help. And yet, the one thing that may be holding kids back from asking is the perception that if the "CAS" is called, kids will be "taken away" according to Colleen McCourt, a foster parent for Troubled Teens.
The intent for the Dress Purple Campaign is to create awareness of the programs available to families and to celebrate the families who are served by them (to help remove the shame associated with getting help).
For those wearing purple on Dress Purple Day, you are symbolizing the right to safety and well-being - specifically for elementary, middle, and high school students.
We spoke to Brad Park, CEO of United Way Halton & Hamilton about the youth in need today: "The pandemic has created additional barriers for children and young people. It has affected their physical, emotional, and educational development, which can lead to the emergence of long-term challenges."
"Stigma can be a barrier that prevents many children and young people from reaching out for the support they need," Park continues.
"The fear of shame or the potential consequences can be overwhelming for them. It is heartbreaking to think that these fears can hinder a child's access to the assistance they so desperately require."
The Children’s Aid Foundation of Halton (CAFH) stated that three percent of children and youth who receive services come into care. They attribute the majority of their efforts to keeping families together.
In addition to this, statistics from the services provided in Halton suggest that 93% of eligible youth between the ages of 18-21 are actively pursuing education, employment or training, according to CAFH executive director Tina Blatchford.
Blatchford says that this is a very big deal, as throughout Ontario the statistics on the success rate of youth aging out of care are not nearly as positive.
If this resonates with you, on October 27, the Children's Aid Societies across Ontario are asking the public to participate in Dress Purple Day, to support the 50 Children's Aid Societies (including 13 Indigenous Societies).
For anyone who may be unfamiliar, CAFH has been working to provide basic care “From Beds to Bursaries” as they put it, for individuals aged 16 to 24 for over 30 years.
The significance of their efforts really cut deep when Tina Blatchford explained vividly some of the instances in which they’d step in to help individuals. For someone like myself who’s largely been shielded from this growing up, it emphasized how for granted those of us who are privileged may take the “necessities” that others just like us are desperate for.
Tina emphasized that “It’s really important for people to understand that without the opportunities offered to children and youth in and beyond foster care, these young people will fall through the cracks”.
"By sustaining the specially designed programs that are based on years of research, impact and outcomes, we can offer opportunities to overcome significant challenges, anxieties and hardships and better prepare youth for a life of choice, hope and success," she continued.
Oakville News spoke with a foster caregiver for the Peel Children’s Aid Society, Jennifer Dekezel.
"Jennifer, what are some of the challenges that children and youth in foster care face, and how does support from organizations like the Children's Aid Societies help them overcome these challenges?"
"A big challenge that youth in foster care face is the change during trauma," she said.
"Being removed from the home they are living in when they did not ask for this gives them a sense of not being in control, feeling lost, no sense of belonging, and can really set back a child who is trying to find their way."
"There needs to be education given to parents and caregivers that they need not carry the weight of stress on their own," she continued.
Dress Purple may be the gap between fear and understanding, between feeling lost and finding support. With the challenges facing the youth in today’s world, be it institutional, economic, personal matters, or anything of the sort, it’s refreshing to see the local Children’s Aid Societies working so hard.
If you’re interested in supporting this initiative, consider creating your #IDressPurpleBecause video. Additionally, donations can be made online here.
