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    • 10 Facts About Highland Shores Children’s Aid
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Highland Shores Children's Aid Society
ACCESSIBILITY |  LOGIN |  FRANCAIS |
  • About
    • Signs of Safety
    • Our Board
    • Becoming a Board Member
    • Our History
    • Our Services
    • Our Communities
    • Our Media
    • Our Publications
    • The Children’s Foundation
    • Notice of Information Practices
    • Access to Records
    • Child Welfare Record Check Consent Form
  • Report
    • Report a Concern
    • What is Abuse or Neglect?
    • Signs of Abuse or Neglect
    • How and Why it Happens
    • What Happens During an Investigation?
    • October is Dress Purple Month
  • Foster
    • What Do Foster Parents Do?
    • Who Can Become a Foster Parent?
    • What is Involved in Becoming a Foster Parent?
    • Who Are Foster Children?
    • Types of Foster Care
    • Foster Parent Training & Support
    • National Foster Family Week
    • Learn More about Becoming a Foster Parent
    • Children and Youth Who Need Full-time or Relief Foster Families
  • Adopt
    • Who Can Adopt?
    • How Do I Adopt?
    • Adoption Awareness Month
  • Support
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Donate
  • Parenting
    • Discipline
    • Legislation
    • Parenting Programs
    • Parenting Resources
  • Youth
    • Overview
    • Our Youth Programs
    • Board Youth Advisory Committee (YAC)
    • Resources & Services for Youth
    • Former Youth In Care
  • News
  • Working With Us
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Salary & Benefits
    • Training & Development
    • Roles & Qualifications
    • Student Opportunities
    • Vendors
    • Procurement of Goods and Services
  • Accountability
    • 10 Facts About Highland Shores Children’s Aid
    • Annual Report
    • Annual Review and Budget
    • Audited Financial Statements
    • Child Protection Standards and Tools
    • Executive Level Travel Expenses
    • Mission, Vision, Values Statements, Equity Statement & Strategic Plan
    • Performance Indicators
    • Perquisites
  • Contact
    • Concerns / Complaints
    • Feedback / Compliments
    • Access to Records

How and Why it Happens

If you have any concerns about a child please call 1-800-267-0570.

Report
Foster
Adopt
Support

How it Happens

Abuse or neglect of a child can happen in two ways: an act of commission (doing something to a child) or act of omission (not doing something for a child).

An act of commission is specifically when a parent or caregiver harms or is likely to harm a child. For example, striking a child or sexually molesting a child is an act of commission.

An act of abuse or neglect through omission results from a caregiver not taking action to protect a child. For example, allowing a small child to play near a busy street unsupervised or allowing a known sexual offender to be alone with your child could be acts of omission.

Why it Happens

There are many factors contributing to child abuse and neglect and many reasons why children and families become involved with Highland Shores Children’s Aid. Sometimes parents need help in identifying abusive patterns and learning techniques that can keep children safe at home. Other times, parents request assistance due to social and economic factors beyond their control.

Poverty

As front-line service providers with the legal responsibility to protect children from abuse and neglect, Highland Shores Children’s Aid knows, first-hand, the impact of economic uncertainty, plant closures, job loss and family stress on the well-being of children and youth. While poverty, on its own, does not result in child abuse or neglect, research clearly identifies a link between poverty and child abuse, mental health issues and domestic abuse.

Source: Campaign 2000, Report On Child Poverty, 2008

Domestic Violence

In Ontario in 2013, nearly 50% of all substantiated investigations of child abuse involved exposure to domestic violence.  That means children were direct witnesses to physical violence, indirectly exposed to physical violence and/or exposed to emotional violence.

Substance Abuse

Child abuse or neglect and substance abuse are very closely related. It is estimated that 40 to 80 percent of the three million children who come to the attention of the child welfare systems in Canada each year live in families where the adults struggle with addiction problems, according to numerous surveys of child welfare agencies nationwide*. Approximately one million of these children are confirmed to be abused or neglected. **When parents abuse substances, it more than doubles the risk of exposure to both childhood physical and sexual abuse.

*Source: Walsh, MacMillan, and Jamieson, E. The Relationship between Parental Sustance Abuse and Child Maltreatment: Findings from the Ontario Health Supplement. Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal December 2003, 27 (12)p. 1409-1425

**Source: Ibid

Mental Health

Mental health issues are prevalent in 23 percent of mothers and 14 percent of fathers in cases of substantiated child abuse where they are the abusers*. Funding support for mental health and addictions remains low. There are half a million children and youth in Ontario with mental health issues who may suffer from conditions including depression, anxiety, bullying or an eating disorder.

*Source: Ontario Incidence Study; 2003

  • Report Overview
  • Report a Concern
  • What is Abuse or Neglect?
  • How and Why it Happens
  • Signs of Abuse or Neglect
  • What Happens When You Call?
  • What Happens During an Investigation?
  • October is Dress Purple Month

Areas of Interest

+ Dispelling Myth on Sharing Information + Our Communities + October is Dress Purple Month

Resources

+ Parenting Programs + Parenting Resources + Publications + Signs of Safety
  • https://www.oacas.org
  • https://www.triplep.net
  • https://www.partcanada.org/
  • https://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca
  • https://alderville.ca/
  • https://www.signsofsafety.net
  • https://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/
  • https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/id/73535
  • https://www.cwlc.ca/
  • https://www.northumberland.ca/en/living-here/community-safety-well-being.aspx
  • https://mbq-tmt.org/
  • https://www.binnoojiiyag.ca/
Highland Shores Children's Aid Society

STAY CONNECTED

Locations

Highland Shores Children’s Aid serves the counties of Hastings, Prince Edward and Northumberland.

BANCROFT | BELLEVILLE | COBOURG | PICTON

How Can I Help?

+ Join our Team + Volunteer Opportunities + Make a Donation

Contact Us

If you have any concerns about a child please call 1-800-267-0570.

©COPYRIGHT 2023 HIGHLAND SHORES CAS | SITE BY: SNAP 360

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We are open and here to help.

Highland Shores CAS is an essential workplace. Our doors are open; however, in accordance with Public Health guidance, all visitors and staff should stay home when sick. Visits should be rescheduled during the time symptoms are present until symptoms have improved for 24 hours or 48 hours for gastrointestinal symptoms.

Also, masks are currently required in all public parts of our building until further notice.

If you have concerns about the safety of a child, or if you need our help, please call 1-800-267-0570 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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