Coordinating services for young victims in North Bay

From: Department of Justice Canada

News Release

September 22, 2017 - North Bay, ON - Department of Justice Canada

Crime can have traumatizing effects on victims, especially child victims. A responsive and coordinated approach to service delivery is critical for children and youth victims of crime and their families.

Today, Anthony Rota, Member of Parliament for Nipissing-Timiskaming, on behalf of the Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced funding to establish a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre in Nipissing District that will enhance and expand the integration of social, health, justice, law enforcement and other community services for victims of child abuse.

Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca will use $129,618 in funding to bring together a multidisciplinary team of five police services, two local hospitals, one regional hospital, child protection services, mental health services, criminal justice partners and victim services under one umbrella to best respond to the needs of child and young victims. The funding will help train professionals in best practices for interviewing child victims and witnesses and will help reduce the number of interviews and questions directed at a child. The funding will also help provide private areas that are physically and psychologically safe for clients and their families.  

Quotes

“A well-functioning justice system is one that serves all Canadians, protects the vulnerable, and holds offenders to account. This funding will help establish a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre that will facilitate collaboration among agencies who support young victims to more effectively deliver services and provide a child friendly and age appropriate environment where children and their families can receive support and assistance.”

The Honourable Jody Wilson-Raybould, P.C., Q.C., M.P. 

Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

“Child and Youth Advocacy Centres help minimize the trauma of crime by providing children and youth with a safe and comfortable environment in the criminal justice system. The funding for this centre will help better coordinate the services in North Bay to increase efficiency while increasing the quality of investigations and prosecutions for the child and family.”

Anthony Rota

Member of Parliament for Nipissing-Timiskaming

“This initiative represents a strong community effort by a number of service providers to create a responsive, effective and therapeutic service that addresses an important need in our community. Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca is pleased to have this opportunity, with the support of our partners, to create a positive impact for children and youth in our community through the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre.”

Jeffrey Hawkins

Executive Director, Hands TheFamilyHelpNetwork.ca

Quick Facts

  • Children who attend Child Advocacy Centres are more likely to state that they were not scared during a forensic interview compared to children without the support of a Child Advocacy Centre. (Did You Know?)

  • Communities with Child Advocacy Centres use more coordinated and collaborative investigations than communities without them, including more multidisciplinary team interviews, videotaped interviews, and joint investigations with child protection agencies and the police. (JustFacts)

  • The police services that collectively serve the district of Nipissing reported that they respond to approximately 2800 domestic altercations and an average of 400 child sexual/physical assault calls per year.

Associated Links

Contacts

For more information, media may contact:

Kathleen Davis

Communications and Parliamentary Affairs Advisor

Office of the Minister of Justice

613-992-4621

Media Relations

Department of Justice Canada

613-957-4207

media@justice.gc.ca 

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