OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Feb. 17, 2014) - Department of Justice Canada

Today, on behalf of Minister of Justice Peter MacKay, David Wilks, M.P. for Kootenay-Columbia, announced $350,000 in funding for the Kootenay Boundary Community Services Co-operative to improve and expand services for young victims of abuse living in the region.

The funding will be used by the organization to develop and implement a rural model of delivering services available through a Child Advocacy Centre in the communities of Nelson, Castlegar, Trail, Nakusp and Grand Forks. This project builds on a feasibility study undertaken by the organization in 2011 that found a need for improved services and a more coordinated response from professionals for young victims of abuse living in rural areas of the region.

This project will bring together a multi-disciplinary team from existing service providers to respond to cases of abuse. Local coordinators will be hired to ensure that protocols are developed, evaluated and updated as necessary, and to act as a family liaison where needed. In addition, a regional coordinator will manage the project, liaise with community partners, develop and distribute resources and coordinate regional training and the development of regional policies, procedures and protocols. Local facilities will also be upgraded to make them child-friendly and to ensure they are accessible at all times.

Quick Facts

• The funding will be provided to the Kootenay Boundary Community Services Co-operative over two years:
  • 2013-2014 - $175,000
  • 2014-2015 - $175,000

• The funding is being provided by the Government of Canada through the Department of Justice Canada's Victims Fund. The Victims Fund provides support to projects and activities that encourage the development of new approaches, promote access to justice, improve the capacity of service providers, foster the establishment of referral networks, or increase awareness of services available to victims of crime and their families.

Quotes

"Accessing effective services can be a challenge, especially for victims and families who live in rural areas. This funding to the Kootenay Boundary Community Services Co-operative will benefit young victims and their families in our area by building on local, existing services and improving the ability of regional service providers to work together effectively when responding to cases of abuse. This will make a real difference to victims of crime in our region, and will be a great improvement in gaining access to justice."

David Wilks, Member of Parliament for Kootenay-Columbia

"Through organizations such as the Kootenay Boundary Community Service Co-operative, we are reaching out to the most vulnerable victims of abuse in our communities - our children - and providing them with a safe and friendly place to access valuable resources in a compassionate way. Our Government's support will help address the specific challenges of a Child Advocacy Centre in these communities, to ensure that these youth are not re-victimized by the system and that their voices are heard louder and in a more effective way in our country's justice system - as we've promised we would do."

Peter MacKay, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Related Products

- Backgrounder: Child Advocacy Centres

- Backgrounder: Federal Victims Strategy and Victims Fund

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