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w w w .in s id e h a lto n .c o m | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, O c to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 7 | 6 EDITORIAL | OPINION ABOUT US Wear purple for kids October may be the month of orange, red and gold, but it is also the month for purple. That' s because it is Child Abuse Prevention Month -- the 25th year of the recognition in Ontario. As such, Dress Purple Day will take place Oct. 24, . To launch this provincial day of action, the CN Tower will be lit purple Oct. 23 from sunset to sunrise. (A standard set light show will run for eight minutes at the top of every hour.) And, even closer to home, this year the Halton Childrens Aid Society (CAS) joins the Ontario Association of Children' s Aid Societies (OACAS) to raise awareness about the impor tance of calling Children' s Aid with concerns about the safety or well-being of a child or youth. This years campaign specihcally highlights the devastating impact neglect-- which is classihed as a type of abuse -- can have on a child or youth. "A child who is neglected is consistently not having their vital needs met. That could mean poor nutrition, lack of atten tion to hygiene or unattended physical and medical needs," says Mary Ballantyne, CEO of OACAS. "From a child welfare perspective, neglect is a concern because it ultimately affects a child' s ability to thrive." Child neglect can be difhcult to assess, as harm caused by the absence of something is not always readily apparent. Child neglect can be caused by the inability of parents or caregivers to meet a child' s basic needs including food, shelter, clothing, education, supervision, medical care and safe surroundings. Provincial research shows approximately 90 percent of the youth that receive protection services from Children' s Aid live in families that are struggling with chronic needs such as poverty, mental health and addiction. It is important to un derstand that although poverty can be a risk factor for both neglect and abuse, children and youth are also abused or ne glected in families with higher socio-economic status. Every community has an important role to play in helping prevent incidences of neglect and abuse. In Halton, and across the province, children and youths re main with their families in 97 per cent of CAS investigations, a statistic that comes as a surprise to many people. Halton' s community-based program focuses the majority of its work on in-home based on the recognition that early intervention can reduce the need for more intrusive services later. "No one should hesitate to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect to a Children' s Aid Society. Making that call can support a child and their family in getting the help they need. This can mean services and supports, and making the right connections in their community," says Michael Coteau, Minister of Children and Youth Services and Minister Respon sible for Anti-Racism. The Halton CAS provides community-based services across Halton. More than 91 per cent of its protection workers reach out by working directly in schools, counselling agencies and the Halton Regional Police Service. In Halton, 9 7 per cent of children and youths remain at home, only four per cent come into care, of which 72 per cent are over the age of 13. The Hal ton CAS relies on the generosity of donors and the hard work of the Children' s Aid Foundation of Halton to support youths to continue their education and transition into adulthood. -- submitted by Robyn Connolly board and communications specialist, Halton Children' s Aid Society The Oakville Beaver, published every Thursday and Friday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 100 community publications across Ontario. View our digital edition online at: Insidehalton.com under Print Editions found in the footer. · *metrolandmedia · * Connected to your community® The Oakville Beaver is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca N e w s M e d ia National NewsM edia Council % M e d ia s d 'ln f o Canada Canada Loc Media lnsideHalton.com hmiS editor@oakvillebeaver.com E | i ^ i @OakvilleBeav | @oakvillebeaver in sid eh alton .com M y V ie w Making it easy to access Halton Region services ct. 2 to 6 is Customer Service Week, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the many ways you can access Halton. The Region offers a diverse range of ser vices, such as business supports, emergen cy planning, paramedics and public health, social services, Regional roads, water and wastewater, and waste management. En suring quick and easy access to these sup ports is essential to building a strong com munity. We know Halton is part of your everyday life, so we provide many ways to O connect with our programs and services while working to improve your ease of ac cess year after year. Our one-window approach to customer service allows you to access anything you need from us using the channel that works best for you. Whether you want to contact us about Regional issues, report informa tion or request support, you can do so online, on a mobile device, by phone or in person. Every one of these options will give you the same quick and easy experience that helps you move on with your day. G ary C arr Halton Region Chair With Halton only one click, one tap or one call away, it' s easy to access our pro grams and services: see Many on p.7 OKAY, X M ADE A L I S T - Pud by Steve Nease vj ITU OUR FAMILY, AND YOUR AND FAMILIES, AND My SISTERS AND FAMILIES/ y^VJE'RE Ho s t in g 2 8 f * '_for t h a n k s g iv in g m o m ^JU S T ONE , w p y o u r brothers AftY Q U E S TIO N S ? CONTACT US The Oakville Beaver 5 0 4 6 Mainway, Unit 2, Burlington ON L7L 5Z1 Phone 9 0 5 -8 4 5 -3 8 2 4 / Fax 9 0 5 -3 37 -55 6 8 Classified 1 -8 0 0-263-6480 Digital/Flyers/Retail Advertising 2 8 9 -2 93 -06 2 4 Real Estate/Homefinder.ca Advertising Suzanne Trickey / 2 8 9 -2 93 -06 7 7 / strickey@oakvillebeaver.com WHO WE ARE Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 2 0 0 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. ablackburn@oakvillebeaver.com Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please call 1 -8 6 6 -8 3 8-89 6 0 or email Customerservice@metroland.com Vice-President and Group Publisher of Metroland West Neil Oliver Advertising Director Daniel Baird / dbaird@metroland.com / 2 8 9 -2 9 3 -0 6 2 4 Managing Editor Angela Blackburn / ablackbum@oakvillebeaver.com /2 8 9 -2 9 3 -0 6 1 7 Regional General Manager Kelly Montague kmontague@metroland.com / 2 8 9 -2 9 3 -0 6 1 4 Director of Distribution Charlene Hall / chall@metroland.com / 9 0 5 -6 31 -60 9 5