Ottawa – The Government of Canada is investing more than $17.5 million over five years to fund 13 projects aimed at preventing family and gender-based violence. These projects will help support children, youth, families, and service providers across Canada.
To prevent and address youth dating violence:
- The Community-Based Research Council Society is receiving $1,749,946 to deliver and test a bilingual health promotion intervention to address dating violence, gender-based violence, and related risks and protective factors for up to 120 queer and trans youth in four underserved settings across Canada (Yukon, Alberta, Quebec, and Nova Scotia).
- Réseau-Femmes Colombie-Britannique is receiving $1,250,000 to scale up, deliver and test their program Jeunes Leaders des Relations Saines, reaching more than 1,500 Francophone youth (grades 9 to 12) living in minority language settings in six schools in British Columbia. The project uses a peer-led approach and aims to promote healthy and respectful youth dating relationships.
- L’Anonyme is receiving $999,983 to deliver and test Iris, a health promotion intervention focused on sexual education, with neurodivergent youth in community-based settings in Montreal. The project will support 450 neurodivergent youth ages 15-21 to develop knowledge, skills and behaviours that promote equal, safe and consensual intimate relationships.
To promote supportive approaches to child welfare:
- The University of Ottawa is receiving $2,162,787 to train up to 1,440 service providers in 120 shelters and support centres across Quebec with the Protection des enfants en contexte de violence conjugale (PEVC) model. The project aims to increase their knowledge of child protection policies and procedures to better assist them in providing support and meet the needs of children exposed to intimate partner violence and their mothers.
- Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak is receiving $1,378,870 to develop and test tools and resources to equip child welfare and reproductive health professionals to care for Métis families in a culturally-safe manner. This project will engage and support Métis families who are either at risk of or currently experiencing child welfare involvement while accessing reproductive care.
- McGill University is receiving $1,285,235 to develop, implement and test a culturally-safe, anti-racist simulation-based virtual training on trauma-informed care in French and English. Designed for child welfare staff, this intervention will promote the healing and recovery of children and adolescents served by child welfare, in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.
- The University of Toronto is receiving $1,111,176 to deliver and test four culturally-based health promotion interventions in Ontario. The project team will partner with two Indigenous child and family well-being agencies and one Children’s Aid Society and reach 1,200 children and families to support their unique needs.
To prevent and address child maltreatment:
- Positive Discipline in Everyday Life is receiving $2,677,123 to adapt, scale up and test a Canadian evidence-based parent support program, to 600 parents in Ontario, British Columbia, and Manitoba. The program helps parents understand their children’s behaviour from infancy to adolescence to promote healthy parent-child attachments and prevent harsh forms of discipline. The adaptation will include enhanced trauma-and-violence informed practices and updates to include content on sex and gender development.
- McMaster University in Ontario is receiving $1,824,080 to adapt, deliver, and test two evidence-based programs to address current gaps in parenting programs. The project will benefit more than 1,500 families in the Hamilton and Toronto regions by creating culturally-responsive, relevant, and accessible resources for service providers and caregivers of children aged 0-6.
- The World Health Organization is receiving $300,000 to disseminate guidance and training, internationally and across Canada, to recognize and respond to child maltreatment.
- The Canadian Paediatric Society is receiving $215,992 to develop and share evidence-based resources and guidance to equip paediatric health professionals to recognize and respond safely to child maltreatment. It will address the current gap in clinical guidance available on trauma-informed care for children, youth and families in Canada.
To address the intersections of gender-based violence and substance use:
- The University of British Columbia’s EQUIP Health Care is receiving $870,000 to build service provider and organizational capacity to better address the intersections of gender-based violence and substance use. This involves working with organizations in British Columbia, Ontario, and New Brunswick on the development, dissemination and evaluation of evidence-based resources and guidance.
To address the intersections of gender-based violence and traumatic brain injury:
- Supporting Survivors of Abuse and Brain Injury through Research (SOAR) is receiving $1,686,150 to develop resources and training opportunities to equip health care and social service providers across Canada with the knowledge and skills to safely support, and provide comprehensive, multi-sectoral care of clients with a brain injury as a result of gender-based violence.