Heightening awareness on child abuse
By Bill Hunt
Local News - Saturday, October 02, 2004 @ 10:00
BELLEVILLE INTELLIGENCER
There are more than 19,000 children in the care of Children’s Aid Societies in
Ontario.
In the 2003-2004 fiscal year more than 1,800 investigations of suspected abuse
were conducted by the local CAS and 264 children were admitted to its care.
Those were just a few of the statistics released by the Hastings Children’s
Aid Society during the launch of its annual Purple Ribbon Campaign to raise
public awareness about child abuse. (The local campaign coincides with the start
of Child Abuse And Neglect Prevention Month, which runs throughout October.)
This year’s theme is Child Abuse Can Begin Before Birth: Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects.
Prince Edward-Hastings MPP Ernie Parsons, who is also a member of the Hastings
Children’s Aid Society’s board of directors, was this year’s keynote
speaker at Friday’s campaign launch at the Quinte Mall. Parsons’ adopted
son, Sandy, had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The young man died Jan. 29 from a brain
aneurysm as a result of F.A.S.
The condition, caused by women drinking while pregnant, can result in physical
and mental retardation, Parsons told a group of people gathered at the mall for
the launch of the campaign.
Consuming alcohol, even from very early in a pregnancy, can result in
defects. On the 20th day of pregnancy a child’s head is formed, said Parsons,
and alcohol passes the placenta very quickly. No pregnant woman would disagree
that she shouldn’t take drugs, he said.
“Alcohol is a drug and a pregnant woman (who drinks) has just taken a drug,”
he added. “There are far too many unborn children in our society who drink and
smoke.” F.A.S. is the most common cause of mental retardation, noted Parsons.
Forty-two per cent of inmates in federal penitentiaries have F.A.S.
When Parsons and his wife Linda adopted Sandy he was not quite two years old. At
that time they didn’t know there was a problem, but by the time he was two and
a half it was obvious something was wrong. A person who knew Sandy’s
biological mother told Parsons they had known her nine years and never seen her
sober.
As Sandy grew older he knew he was handicapped and it bothered him greatly, said
Parsons.
Following his son’s death, Parsons introduced a private member’s bill in the
legislature, called Sandy’s Law, that requires any place selling alcohol to
post signs warning of the effects of drinking while pregnant. The law comes into
effect Jan. 1, 2005. In total, 17,600 restaurants and bars, plus 600 LCBOs and
400 Brewers Retail outlets will post the signs.
Friday’s master of ceremonies was radio personality Jack Miller. The CAS’s
director of services, Mark Kartusch, also spoke at the campaign launch.
John Fitzpatrick, chair of the Quinte Regional Children’s Foundation, was on
hand to accept a cheque for $2,000 from Therese Touchette, branch manager of the
Trenton Kawartha Credit Union. As well, an anonymous donor gave the QRCF $25,000
for the third year in a row.
The Hastings CAS has participated in the campaign since 2000. This year the
society will be distributing 30,000 purple ribbons in the community, available
for a donation. The campaign was initiated in 1992 by the Durham CAS in 1992 and
coincides with Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month, which was started by
the Independent Order of Foresters. In 1993 the campaign was expanded to include
the Children’s Aid Societies of the greater Toronto area. In 1998 the
Children’s Aid Societies in the greater Toronto area invited other societies
to participate. The following year 19 societies participated in the purple
ribbon campaign. Last year 45 agencies took part in the campaign.
Events scheduled locally for October include: an address by Michael Piercy,
Centre For Addiction and Mental Health Services, to the Belleville Rotary Club
Oct. 4; The Hastings CAS/Quinte Regional Children’s Foundation Conference,
Domestic Violence: The Impact, a symposium led by Dr. Linda Baker Oct. 7 (this
is open to the public); presentations by Chris Margetson to students at
Centennial Secondary School and Hastings CAS staff Oct. 26 and 27;
multi-restaurant promotion in which pregnant women will be offered complimentary
soft drinks or other non-alcoholic beverages. For this event the CAS is
partnering with Golden Valley, Montana’s, Red Rock Canyon, Paulo’s Italian
Trattoria, Tomasso’s Casual Dining and Jim’s Pizza.