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The following links will provide you with more information about legislation and other organizations involved with child safety and protection.
Legislation
Child, Family and Community Service Act
http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/C/96046_01.htm
Criminal Code of Canada
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-46/
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/F/96165_01.htm
Infants’ Act
http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/I/96223_01.htm
Victims of Crime Act
http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/V/96478_01.htm
Other Organizations You May Wish to Contact
To contact a Suspected Child abuse or Neglect team in your area, call Children’s Hospital at 604-875-2345 and ask for the Child Protection Service Unit
Representative for Children and Youth – Responsibilities of the Representative include advocating and supporting children and youth, protecting their rights, and making the child protection system more responsive, particularly for those who are most vulnerable. Phone: 1-800-476-3933 (Confidential, for all of B.C.) http://www.rcybc.ca
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner http://www.oipcbc.org Victim LINK toll free 1-800-563-0808 has a 24 hour a day, multilingual, province-wide telephone service to locate a victim service program in your community or go to the web site at : http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/victim_services
Independent schools are guided by the document, Supporting Our Students: A Guide for Independent School Personnel Responding to Child Abuse which is at: http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/independentschools/is_resources/
For more information about children witnessing family violence, see Best Practice Approaches: Child Protection and Violence Against Women at : http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/child_protection/publications.htm
Parent Support Services of BC is a non-profit, volunteer-based society whose mandate is preventing child abuse and promoting healthy parent-child relationships by supporting parents, families and communities. http://www.parentsupportbc.ca Phone: 1 800 665-6880
The BC Council for Families is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that supports families by providing resources, education and training to strengthen family relationships. http://www.bccf.bc.ca Vancouver: 604 660-0675 Toll Free: 1 800 663-5638
In Your Grasp is an online resource for B.C. families jointly developed by the BC Federation of Foster Parent Associations, the Adoptive Families Association of BC and the Federation of Aboriginal Foster Parents. This resource provides direct and immediate access to information regarding support services and is available to ALL families in British Columbia. http://www.inyourgrasp.bc.ca
Complaint Resolution Process for the Ministry of Children and Family Development . If you don’t agree with a decision or action of the ministry, you can make a complaint to the Ministry of Children and Family Development. For more information about the complaint resolution process, click on http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/complaints/index.htm or call your nearest Ministry of Children and Family Development office and ask for the person responsible for responding to complaints.
Responding to Child Welfare Concerns – Complaint Resolution Processes for the Delegated Aboriginal Child and Family Services Agencies. Each delegated agency has its own complaint resolution process. Contact the agency for more information. Contact information for delegated Aboriginal child welfare agencies can be found in the white pages, or online at: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/about_us/aboriginal/delegated/pdf/agency_list.pdf
The Ombudsman receives questions and complaints about the services provided by public agencies. The Ombudsman can conduct investigations to determine if a public agency is being fair to the people it serves. http://www.ombud.gov.bc.ca Phone: 1 800 567-3247 (all of B.C.)
The Public Guardian and Trustee protects the legal and financial interests of minors and acts in the roles of Trustee, Guardian of Estate and Litigation Guardian. http://www.trustee.bc.ca/services/youth/index.html Phone: 1 604 660-4444
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