DRESS PURPLE Month in Support of Children/Youth and Families in our Communities
We All Have a Role to Play
“It takes a community to keep kids safe”. Each year, in October, Children’s Aid Societies across Ontario come together to create awareness of the important role we all share in keeping the most vulnerable members of our community safe and well-cared for. If you have any reason to believe that a child, youth or their family is in need of support or help please, use your voice and to speak up for them and call Highland Shores Children’s Aid. We can help. Our goal is to support children, youth and their families, while keeping children/youth in their home when it is safe to do so.
This campaign is more important than ever, since the COVID-19 pandemic has created additional stressors for families, and in some cases has increased risk for the well-being and safety of children and youth. It is important for us all to ensure that we are connecting with one another and checking in to see if there are additional supports that can be offered to children/youth and families that are facing challenges. COVID-19 can lead to an increase in risk factors surrounding mental health, intimate partner violence, and maltreatment of children and youth. Ontarians in need of help are encouraged to reach out to the services available in their community, including Children’s Aid Societies, or if they know a young person or family in need of support. Dress Purple Day offers an opportunity to remind Ontarians that Children’s Aid Societies and Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agencies are open and providing services, and that if they have a concern about the safety or well-being of a child or youth or if their family is in need of support, they should call their local CAS.
The campaign is marked by the purple ribbon. Dress Purple Day takes place on the fourth Wednesday in October. Everyone is encouraged to wear the colour purple to show children/youth and their families that no one is alone, that community organizations are part of the circle of care that are there to support them.
Locally, Highland Shores Children’s Aid will be engaging again with local hockey teams that are able to participate in purple in the rink to also demonstrate their support for children/youth and their families. Many town councils proclaim October as Dress Purple Month and show their support by allowing purple ribbons to be placed on lamp posts through the downtown areas. We are fortunate to have many community organizations and businesses demonstrate their support by wearing their purple ribbons, challenging other businesses to window decorating contests and submitting their pictures to Highland Shores and/or OACAS.
Every year, Highland Shores Children’s Aid looks forward to seeing ways this community is able to show support for Dress Purple Month and their support for children/youth and families! Please submit your photos of yourself and/or your staff and any purple that you are able to add to or OACAS.org/dresspurpleday or post your photos on social media with #idresspurplebecause with your own message about why this month is important.
For more ideas on ways to support this campaign, please visit OACAS.org/dresspurpleday
