The Government of Canada strengthens support for child and youth victims of abuse and violence in New Brunswick

DIEPPE, NB, May 25, 2019 /CNW/ - Canadians expect to live in a society where the criminal justice system is fair and impartial and supports the needs of victims. This is especially important when those victims or witnesses of abuse and violence are children and youth.

Today, the Honourable David Lametti, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, announced financial support to the Boreal Child and Youth Expertise Centre. This support will help the Centre develop more expertise related to child sexual abuse. It will also improve service delivery by providing training that will help the recipient customize programs and policies to best represent the interests of children and youth. The Boreal Child and Youth Expertise Centre will develop new approaches to service delivery that facilitate access to justice, improve the capacity of service providers, and raise awareness about the services they offer young victims and members of their families. Almost $565,000 over five years has been allocated to the Centre de Prévention de la Violence dans Kent Inc. to support the Boreal Child and Youth Expertise Centre in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent, New Brunswick.

Child and youth victims of abuse or violence need safe, comfortable spaces where they can obtain services adapted and customized to their needs in order to lessen the consequences of the violence they have experienced. Through the Child Advocacy Centre (CAC) Initiative, the Government of Canada is working to provide increased support to these victims and their families by providing funding to create Child Advocacy Centres and Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CACs and CYACs). These centres seek to minimize system-induced trauma by providing a child-friendly facility for young victims and their families to seek multiple services, ideally under one roof.

The CAC Initiative provides funding to a number of victim-serving, non-governmental organizations whose programs and activities are aligned with the priorities of the Victims Fund and the Government of Canada.

Quotes

"I am proud that the Government of Canada is providing critical financial support to enable the Boreal Child and Youth Expertise Centre to enhance the services they offer to victims and members of their families. It is important that children and youth in New Brunswick who are victims of abuse and violence have the support they need and have access to community programs to focus on healing and prevention."

The Honourable David Lametti, P.C., Q.C., M.P.
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

"We thank the federal government for this important funding to provide child victims of sexual assault in New Brunswick with a safe place to live. This funding allows us to establish the first Child Advocacy Centre in the province. There is a great need for intervention and care for child victims of sexual assault. This support from the Department of Justice allows us to work closely with our partners in helping victims access the services they need."

Angèle Losier
Executive Director of Boreal Child and Youth Expertise Centre

At a glance

According to self-reported data from the 2014 General Social Survey on victimization, nearly a third (32%) of Canadians aged 15 years and older – nearly nine million people – reported childhood physical or sexual abuse.
A Department of Justice five year, multi-site study was conducted to better understand how Canadian CACs are developing and operating; measuring client satisfaction and how CACs meet the Federal Victims Strategy (FVS) objectives. A total of six CACs were included in the study involving four delivery models. The results indicated:

Ninety-three percent of respondents in the study indicated that the support they received from all professionals was helpful.
Caregivers also identified the victim advocate as the most important service received by them (46%), while counselling/therapy was the most important service received by their children (33%).
Most youth victims (79%) and caregivers (91%) received services that were culturally sensitive.

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SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2019/25/c8026.html

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