Our Vision: To engage the community in a child abuse prevention, awareness and response strategy Mission: To serve children and families in the Niagara Region who have been impacted by abuse 8 Forster Street, St. Catharines, ON L2N 1Z9 Tel: 905-937-5435 | Fax: 905-934-6917 2016 [email protected] | kristenfrenchcacn.org Registered Charity No. 865196406RR0001 Annual Report © 2016 Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre Niagara Types of Alleged Abuse or Risk 41% of FACS cases were conducted 20% jointly with NRPS Other 348 of the 3229 cases of possible child abuse 42% Investigations in & neglect investigated Physical Niagara per Municipality in Niagara by FACS were handled at our Centre St. Catharines 34% 38% 41% of FACS cases Sexual Niagara Falls 21% Types ofTypes Alleged of AllegedAbuse or Abuse Risk or Risk 41% of FACS cases Welland 15% were conductedwere conducted President’s Message Other 12% Executive Director’s Message 20% jointly withjointly NRPS with NRPS Thorold 5% 20% Last year my message focused on the Board’s direction to build upon Stats Other When we do our part, the children and youth who enter our doors are Fort Erie 4% Other three pillars: child abuse AgePREVENTION, Range &AWARENESS Gender andof RESPONSE, 348 of the 3229 cases 41% of FACS cases welcomed into a safe place to share their experiences of alleged abuse to Port Colborne 4% Types of Alleged 348Abuseof the or 3229 Riskcases our investigation partners. It also means they are provided mental health that we believe will helpChildren/Youth fill the gaps for Niagara’s Interviewed children and families 41% of FACS cases of possible child abuse were conducted Investigations in impacted by child abuse.Types It is my of pleasure Alleged to Abuseshare how or far Risk we have Beamsville 3% of possible child abuse 42% 42% counsellingInvestigations and programs in that focus on resilience and healing as much as were conducted 348 of the 3229& neglectcases of investigated possible& neglect child investigated abuse jointlyPhysical with NRPS Niagara per Municipalityreporting and investigation, to carry them through to recovery. come on this journey and what work, with your help, is still to be done. Grimsby 2% 20% Physical Niagara per Municipality jointly with NRPS in Niagara by FACS were 20% & neglect investigatedOther in NiagaraNiagara byby FACS FACS were St. CatharinesIn 2016 we% worked with our child welfare partner, FACS to develop a Child abuse PREVENTION is everyone’s Otherresponsibility. The evidence- were handledhandled at our Centre at handledour Centre at our Centre St. Catharines34 34% 348 of the 3229 cases 38% proposal to fill the gaps in family referrals and support. To this end, the based practice40%348 of of the the 3229 Childcases Advocacy Model and the social return 38% Niagara Falls % Our partner, Family Sexual NiagaraFamily2 Enrichment1 Falls Workers21% (FEW) are now available to attend to the needs on investmentof possible is now child well abuseestablished in Ontario, across Canada and Investigations in of possible child abuse 42% Sexual Investigations in 20% 42% Counselling Centre Welland of families 15% during the investigation and to ensure proper support services beyond. In& 2016, neglect the investigated Board of Directors made a concerted effortPhysical to Niagara per Municipality& neglect investigated Physical Niagara per Municipality Welland 15% Niagara provided 180 are provided afterwards. Family Counselling Centre Niagara staff ensured Other 12% work with0% inthe Niagara municipal by FACS leadership were in St. Catharines to provide a 41% of FACS cases in Niagara by FACS were Otherthat counselling gaps12 were% filled and worked with our Youth Outreach Types of Alleged Abuse or Risk St.counselling Catharines sessions % resolutionhandled in Council0‐6 at Yrs our to Centreseek 7‐12 sustainable Yrs 13‐15 support Yrs 15+from Yrs the province 34 handled at our Centre St. Catharines 34% Thorold 5% 38% were conducted 38% ThoroldCoordinator in a variety5% of ways providing supportive programs for for all CACs in Ontario. Taking Niagara’sSexual lead, this effort was echoed withNiagara children/youth Falls 21% & children, youth and their families at the Centre. jointly with NRPS Sexual Niagara Falls 21% Fort Erie 4% by other CACs and their local councilsMale Femalein 20%OntarioAges through the efforts theirWelland family members 15% Age RangeAge & Range Gender & Genderof of Fort Erie 4% of the Ontario network of CYACs. StaffOther and Board involvement in Welland 15 % Port Colborne 4% Other 12% PortThis Colbornenew arrangement 4% along with a three year grant provided by the endless fundraising348 of the events 3229 cases to fill critical operational funding gaps Children/YouthChildren/Youth Interviewed Interviewed Thorold 5% Other 12% Beamsville Ontario 3Trillium% Foundation allowed the Centre to make a significant just to keepof the possible doors child open abuse each year, is no longer acceptable. Early42% Investigations in Beamsville 3% Thorold 5% shift in our capacity to reach more youth. Our Youth Outreach intervention& neglectis key andinvestigated inAge many Range cases the & lives Gender of survivors of absolutelyPhysical NiagaraFort Erie per Municipality 4% Grimsby GrimsbyCoordinator 2 % launched 2 %four programs geared towards 12 - 15 year olds: depends onin Niagarait. We haveby FACS never were been this close to a willingness to Port Colborne 4% Fort Erie 4% Teen Connect, Teen Create, Teen Chat and Teen Council. With generous handled at ourChildren/Youth Centre Interviewed St. Catharines 34% Age Range & Gender of consider an inter-ministry collaborative38% approach to the funding of Beamsville 3% Port Colborne % funding from Great-West Life Insurance Company and the Ontario Trillium Niagara Falls 21% 4 CACs in Ontario - but close is not goodSexual enough! On behalf of the Grimsby 2% Children/Youth40% 40%Interviewed Our partner,Foundation, Family we were able to shoot a new Teen Connect video for awareness children who use our Centre and others like it across the country, Welland 15% Beamsville 3% Ourpresentations partner, in FamilyNiagara schools. We were able to launch our first Teen CounsellingCreative Centre program thanks to the intensive commitment of Patricia Vanstone please lobby your Member of Parliament to ensure their voices are not Other 12% 20% 20% Grimsby 2% Counselling Centre 40% - Artistic Director of the Foster Festival, Liza Sharik, and visiting artists. This ignored in favour of a fragmented approach that puts the system first ThoroldOur partner, Family5% Niagara providedNiagara provided180 instead of investing in a coordinated and trauma-informed response 0% 12-week peer support 1group80 experience allowed participants to express 20% Age Range & Gender of FortCounselling Erie Centre4% 0% counsellingtheir sessions resilience and recovery through the arts. Our Teen Chat website to child abuse. 40% 0‐6 Yrs 7‐12 Yrs 13‐15 Yrs 15+ Yrs counselling sessions NiagaraPort Colborne provided 4 %18 0 0‐6 Yrs 7‐12 Yrs 13‐15 Yrs 15+Our Yrs partner, Family with children/youthforum in development & will allow teens to access vital information and 0% Children/Youth Interviewed withget answerschildren/youth about internet & luring and human trafficking. We also hope to The harsh reality is that there are still many Niagara residents who Beamsvillecounselling sessions 3% 0‐6 Yrs 7‐12 Yrs 13‐15 Yrs 15+ Yrs 20% Male FemaleMale AgesFemale AgesCounselling Centre their familygain members valuable youth-specific feedback on the Centre and it’s programming withGrimsby children/youth 2% & their family members do not know what the Kristen French CACN is or how it benefits the through our newly formed Teen Council. Male Female Ages Niagara provided 180 children, youth and families within their own backyard. Increasing their family members0% the AWARENESS about the realities of child abuse across Niagara’s 12 counselling sessions We collaborated with Niagara Chapter - Native Women Inc. and Victim 40% The gift our volunteers give of their time, 0skills‐6 Yrs & support 7 ‐12means Yrs so 13‐15 Yrs 15+ Yrs municipalities requires collective leadership engagement all year Our partner, Family Services Niagara to host a Victims’ Awareness Week workshop ‘The Power much to our Centre. On behalf of Niagara’s children & youth who In 2016, with children/youth & round. The ‘burning of the mortgage’ made possible through Counselling Centre 20% need our services, we THANK YOU a million times over! Male Female Ages over 50 their family members of Our Voices’. Keynote speaker Dr. Cynthia Wesley-Esquimaux educated donations from a group of local car dealerships who made the link Niagara provided 180 volunteers attendees on the impacts of transgenerational trauma in the Indigenous between safe kids and a safe community, is just one example. 0% counselling sessions committed culture, the far reaching impacts of colonization and the 60’s scoop, and Awareness is also0‐6 Yrsthe dedicated 7‐12 Yrs work 13‐15 ofYrs the 15+Board’s Yrs program the signs of present day resilience that are evident everywhere in the with children/youth & over 3,800 committee, who along with 14 partner agencies, developed the hours in indigenous community. Male Female Ages collaborative website PECAN (Partners to End Child Abuse Niagara) their family members support which provides the public with a compendium of available services. of our Through a focused effort from our Program Administrator a Centre comprehensive communication strategy was established to grow our RESPONSE to the