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person wearing a purple shirt
On Wednesday, October 19th, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS), Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) and key partners will mark Child Abuse Prevention Month (CAPM) with a provincial GO PURPLE DAY to raise awareness about how it takes a community working together to prevent child abuse. The provincial hashtag for the campaign is #iBREAKthesilence.
This year boards of education and schools across the province are joining the GO PURPLE DAY initiative by dressing in purple and participating in various “iBREAKthesilence” activities. Participating boards of education are tracked on this interactive map. Both the Halton District School Board and Halton Catholic District School Board are participating.
“Schools have a unique window into the lives of children and youth and so play an important role in keeping children safe,” says Mary Ballantyne, CEO of the OACAS. “We are excited to see the GO PURPLE DAY initiative spread to schools across the province.”
During Child Abuse Prevention Month OACAS and CASs will highlight the importance of calling Children’s Aid with concerns about the safety or well-being of a child or youth. Ontario’s 47 Children’s Aid Societies, including the Halton Children’s Aid Society, are an essential part of the provincial safety net for children, but they rely heavily on professional and public referrals to do their work. In 2014/15 schools were responsible for 20% of the child protection referrals made to Children’s Aid Societies.
"It is everyone's responsibility to know the signs of child abuse and neglect," said the Honourable Michael Coteau, Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Responsible for Anti-Racism. "Reporting known or suspected cases to your local children's aid society could make a crucial difference in a child's life. All of us play an important role in protecting the children in our communities."
We are also excited to have the CN Tower, a provincial landmark, Go Purple on the evening of October 19th to acknowledge GO PURPLE DAY in support of Child Abuse Prevention Month. The CN Tower will be lit in purple from sunset on the 19th to sunrise the next day, in addition to the standard light show that runs for eight minutes at the top of every hour.
