According to Statistics Canada (2019), approximately 60 per cent of Canadian youth said they experienced some form of abuse before the age of 15.
It is a statistic that attendees of the inaugural Conference of BC Network of Child & Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs) are well familiar with.
The conference, held Oct. 18-19, was attended by the Child Advocacy Centre (CAC) of Kelowna along with 130 individuals who work on the frontlines of child abuse services across B.C.
They included professionals from policing, mental health, healthcare, schools, indigenous services, child protection, provincial services, victim services, and Crown Counsel.
“We are thrilled that Kelowna could host this first gathering of all the CYAC of our province,” said Ginny Becker, CAC executive director. “This work is only strengthened through collaboration and sharing of best practices.
She added that the conference paves the way for shared learning and collaboration designed to improve the way children impacted by abuse experience support and access resources on their path toward resilience and healing.
Five Accredited Facility Dogs also joined the conference.
They provide a comforting and supportive presence for youth who have experienced abuse and are invaluable to the well-being of frontline workers.
With October being Child Abuse Awareness Month, the CYACs encouraged participants to wear blue to honour the courage of survivors.
More information about the BC Network of Child & Youth Advocacy Centres and Child Advocacy Centre of Kelowna can be found on their websites.
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