$500,000 Gift from the Rogers Family to Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre will support Child Victims of Abuse and Online Exploitation during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond
TORONTO, June 15, 2020 /CNW/ - It takes a community to keep children safe. Across the country, Canadians are grappling with a new reality that is rapidly changing as a result of the global pandemic. Child abuse happens in secrecy and the unintended consequence of social isolation is impacting all children and some may be at an increased risk of abuse at this time.
Today, Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre™ (Boost CYAC) received a gift of $500,000 from the Rogers family to fund specialized trauma assessment and therapy to children who have been victims of abuse and child exploitation. These critical funds will support Boost CYAC on the front line working to reduce child abuse in strategic and effective ways including primary prevention, public education, trauma assessment and therapy and future court preparation for child witnesses.
"Our family is honoured to be able to do a small part to help Canadians and Canadian families as they try to recover from the difficult financial challenges that COVID-19 has brought to so many people, especially people already under financial stress," said Martha Rogers, Chair of The Rogers Foundation. "All of the money will be donated in 2020 so we can make as immediate an impact as possible."
"We are very grateful for this extraordinary gift of $500,000 from the Rogers family, a founding funder of the centre," said Karyn Kennedy, President & C.E.O., Boost CYAC. "Boost CYAC would not exist in the way it does today or be in a strong position to provide the services that will be required when the current health crisis has passed if it weren't for the unwavering support we have received from the Rogers family."
For over 37 years Boost CYAC has witnessed the long-term impact that abuse, exploitation, neglect and/or witnessing violence can have on a child's development. "Children that are impacted by abuse often experience trauma that manifests in a number of ways, including depression, self-harm, poor school performance, nightmares, headaches, and other symptoms," explained Kennedy. "Their stories are heart-breaking. However, by providing specialized trauma treatment early, we can make an important difference in their healing journey."
About Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre (Boost CYAC)
Boost CYAC is a recognized leader for responding to child abuse and providing necessary recovery services. A partnership with community and government agencies, it co-locates all professionals involved in child abuse cases under one roof, for a coordinated, interdisciplinary response to child abuse victims in Toronto. Boost CYAC partner agencies include Toronto Police Service, Children's Aid Society of Toronto, Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto, Native Child & Family Service of Toronto, Jewish Family & Child, the SCAN Program at The Hospital for Sick Children, and Radius Child & Youth Services. In addition to housing Ontario's largest child & youth advocacy centre, Boost CYAC offers a number of direct services including primary prevention, public education, trauma assessment and therapy and court preparation for child witnesses. For further information, visit www.boostforkids.org.
SOURCE Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre
Nancy Cottenden, Director of Development & Marketing, Boost Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, (416) 691-7281 | [email protected]
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