Child Advocacy Centres/Child and Youth Advocacy Centres Initiative

Call for Proposals

An invitational call for proposals was sent to the Child Advocacy Centres/Child and Youth Advocacy Centres network on September 12, 2022, with a closing date of October 21, 2022.

For more information on the call for proposals or the Child Advocacy Centres/Child and Youth Advocacy Centres Initiative, please email us at PB-DGP@justice.gc.ca

Overview

The Federal Victims Strategy (FVS) is a horizontal initiative led by the Department of Justice Canada that seeks to improve access to justice for victims of crime and give victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system.

The Victims Fund, a component of the FVS, provides grants and contributions to support 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, and/or increase awareness of services available to victims of crime and their families.

The Child Advocacy Centres (CACs)/Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (CYACs) Initiative provides funding to victim-serving, non-governmental organizations (NGO) whose programs and activities are aligned with the Victims Fund and Government of Canada priorities.

What is a Child Advocacy Centre/Child and Youth Advocacy Centre?

A Child Advocacy Centre/Child and Youth Advocacy Centre is a collaboration between law enforcement, child protection, medical and mental health professionals, and victim advocates in a child-friendly facility where children, youth, and their families can receive an individualized response and services after the occurrence of child abuse. Services provided include prevention, intervention, prosecution, treatment and support for victims and their families.

CACs/CYACs bring together a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to provide a coordinated and comprehensive response to address the needs of children, youth, and their families in cases where abuse is suspected. CACs/CYACs seek to minimize system-induced trauma and support longer-term well-being by providing a child-friendly facility for young victims and their families to seek services, ideally under one roof.

A CAC/CYAC is a community-based program, designed to meet the unique needs of the particular community in which it is located. Consequently, no two centres are alike but each CAC/CYAC has a number of key elements in common, including:

Training and education for professionals working with child abuse victims and community education and outreach are also considered important activities that are undertaken by CACs/CYACs.

Where can I find publications and resources?

Information, resources, reports and tools for CACs/CYACs can be accessed at: www.cac-cae.ca

Canadian Resources

National Guidelines for Canadian Child Advocacy Centres/Child and Youth Advocacy Centres (2021) have been developed and are available at: CAC-CYAC-National-Guidelines-October-2021-FINAL.pdf (cac-cae.ca)

Evidence Supporting National Guidelines for Canada’s Child Advocacy Centres - Lorne D. Bertrand, Ph.D., Joanne J. Paetsch, B.A., John-Paul Boyd, M.A., LL.B., Nicholas Bala, LL.M., F.R.S.C (2018)

Other Resources

Information on developing a CAC/CYAC is also available on the United States National Children’s Alliance (NCA) website at: http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/.

How can I find more information about the CAC/CYAC Initiative?

For more information about the CAC/CYAC Initiative and how to apply for funding, contact us:

Victims Fund Manager
Programs Branch
Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street, 6th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8
Telephone: 613-941-4193
E-mail: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca