Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre launches toolkit empowering school staff to report child abuse

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Oct. 19, 2017) - Today, the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre (SKCAC) launched a toolkit across Alberta to support teachers and school staff in recognizing and reporting child abuse. The need for this resource was identified following a survey conducted by the SKCAC that found school staff were not always confident in their ability to recognize and report abuse.

The toolkit will be rolled out across Alberta school districts through facilitated sessions, and will also be provided to schools across the nation. Representative school districts from across Canada, in partnership with their Children's Services agencies, will be reviewing the video toolkit in the coming weeks to determine the fit with their provincial laws.

"Child abuse prevention is not one individual's responsibility," says Sara Austin, CEO, SKCAC. "It's the community's responsibility to work together to combat abuse. This toolkit is a great step for our school communities to better recognize the signs of child abuse and the appropriate steps to reporting that abuse."

The toolkit is anchored by a video titled, A School's Role in Keeping Our Kids Safe, outlining: how to recognize signs of abuse and types of abuse; what to do if you suspect abuse; what to do if a child discloses abuse; frequently asked questions on reporting abuse; and safe, caring learning environments and self-care.

"We want to support our teachers and school staff to create the most positive learning environment for our students," says Gary Strother, Chief Superintendent, Calgary Catholic School Board. David Stevenson, Chief Superintendent, Calgary Board of Education agrees adding, "This resource will empower our teachers with the necessary information to identify suspected child abuse and know how to report it."

The toolkit is available online at www.sheldonkennedycac.ca/suspectabuse with downloadable supporting documents including a conversation guide and suspect abuse card.

About the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre

The Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre is transforming how the current system responds to child abuse by using a ground-breaking model of integration with six partnering agencies. Together, these agencies provide early-intervention, assessment, investigation and treatment to children, youth and families impacted by the most severe and complex cases of child abuse. The power of the Centre is unleashed through integrated services - the right support at the right time - that reduce the long-term impact of trauma and enable children, youth and families to recover to lead healthy, productive lives.