The Child Advocacy Centre (CAC) of Kelowna is thrilled to have participated in the inaugural Provincial Conference of the BC Network of Child & Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs). Taking place here on the unceded and traditional territories of the syilx/Okanagan people in Kelowna on October 18th and 19th, the event gathered together some 130 multi-disciplinary team members working on the frontlines of child abuse services across our province.
Professionals from the fields of policing, mental health, healthcare, schools, indigenous services, advocacy, child protection, provincial services, victim services, and Crown Counsel attended. In addition, five Accredited Facility Dogs joined the conference, each of whom works to provide a comforting and supportive presence for children and youth who have experienced abuse as well as being invaluable to the wellbeing of the frontline workforce who serve them.
October is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and the BC Network of CYACs encouraged participants to #GoBlueBC and wear blue on the 19th to honour the courage of survivors. The tragic reality is that one in three children in Canada experiences abuse before that age of 15, a statistic that those attending the conference are all too familiar with. Their everyday work changes the trajectory of the young lives impacted by abuse and neglect, making space for their truth, and supporting them to heal.
BC CYAC Network Director Brooke McLardy honoured those in attendance for “changing systems that don’t want to be changed” in order to serve children and youth better. Under the theme Together for Kids: Celebrating our Growth & Planning for the Future, we leveraged the knowledge and experience of colleagues from across BC to move this essential work forward with a focus on the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
“We are thrilled that Kelowna could host this first gathering of all the Child and Youth Advocacy Centres of our province. This work is only strengthened through collaboration and sharing of best practices,” stated Kelowna Child Advocacy Centre Executive Director, Ginny Becker. “The inaugural conference paves the way for annual shared learning and collaboration designed to improve the way children who have been impacted by abuse experience support and access key resources on their path toward resilience and healing.”