Peel marks October as Child Abuse Prevention Month

October 24, 2014 · 0 Comments

October is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
It is a time to come together and spread awareness that keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility. This month and throughout the year, Peel Region encourages all individuals to play a role in making Peel a safer place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, everyone can help promote children’s social and emotional well-being and prevent child maltreatment within the community.
“As a father and a grandfather, one of my greatest responsibilities was, and still is, making sure that my family feels safe,” said Regional Chair and CEO Emil Kolb. “Every October reminds us that there are children in the world who still live in fear and that it’s our duty as adults and responsible citizens to make sure that they are free from any harm.”
The Region is an official signatory to the Duty to Report, making a commitment to keep all children safe.
“As Regional Chair, one of the things I’ve been most proud of over the past 20 years is ensuring that we take a leadership role in confronting social issues that affect us all,” Kolb added. “Signing the Duty to Report is just another example of our promise to address the needs of our growing and diverse community.”
As part of the Child Abuse Prevention Month activities, all Regional staff, including the Executive Management Team, wore purple Oct. 15 to raise awareness of how important it is to work together to keep children safe. Members of the community are invited to plan their own “Go Purple” events throughout the month.
“Keeping children safe is everyone’s responsibility,” said Peel Children’s Aid Society CEO Rav Bains. “October is Child Abuse Prevention Month and gives us an opportunity to raise awareness of how we can work together to keep children safe. We are thankful to our partners who are wearing purple during the month to help us share this important message. If you are concerned about the safety or well-being of a child, please call children’s aid.”
Abuse and neglect are not the only reasons to call Children’s Aid Society. People can also call if they are concerned about domestic violence, substance abuse or other issues affecting a caregiver or parents ability to care for a child.
For more information about child abuse prevention programs and activities during October, and throughout the year, visit www.peelcas.org

Members of the Human Services Leadership Team at Peel Region, who were proclaiming Child Abuse Prevention Month, are Juliet Jackson, director of Service System Management Housing and Strategic Planning, Policy and Partnerships; Janet Menard, commissioner of Human Services; Sonia Pace, director of Children’s Services Operations and Community Partnerships; Regional Chair and CEO Emil Kolb; Suzanne Finn, acting director of Integrated Business Support; Joan Kaczmarski, director of Service System Management Early Learning and Child Care and Office of System Innovation; and Stella Danos-Papaconstantinou, director of Client Relationships and Client and Community Access
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