October is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and the Zebra Child Protection Centre is encouraging Albertans to support victims of child abuse by wearing blue on Oct. 24.
The centre is one of eight Child Advocacy Centres in Alberta and 27 across Canada. They support children and their families and help build safer communities.
The Zebra Child Protection Centre has reported a of 22 per cent year-over-year increase in cases. In 2018, it supported 2,098 children.
Support services, including care calls, emotional support and referrals, increased by 74 per cent.
"Certainly it's encouraging in the sense that the community is talking about child abuse, understanding their role within recognizing it as well as reporting it," Zebra Child Protection Centre CEO Cheryl Diebel said on CTV Morning Live Edmonton. "The downside to it is certainly more cases are coming forward."
On average, it costs $1,500 to support a child through the continuum of care, including disclosure, investigation, the judicial process and their healing journey.
The Zebra Child Protection Centre receives some government funding but also relies on donations and volunteers. In 2018, volunteers gave 6,000 hours of their time.
