VICTORIA - April 19 has been proclaimed Child Abuse Prevention Day in British Columbia, announced Children and Family Development Minister Tom Christensen today.

Christensen made the announcement alongside representatives from the local police force, sports organizations, and community health, education and child and youth serving organizations.

"Preventing child abuse is everyone's responsibility," said Christensen. "It's important that each of us - caregivers, teachers, service providers and community members - recognize the signs that a child might be at risk of harm, and know where, and how, to get help. We all have a role in keeping children safe."

An advertising campaign aimed at raising awareness of the Province's toll-free Helpline for Children number - 310-1234 from anywhere in British Columbia - and the duty to report suspected child abuse or neglect was launched this week in Victoria, Prince George, Vancouver, Kamloops, Kelowna and Nanaimo.

The 24-hour helpline is staffed around the clock by trained child protection social workers. Anyone can access the number: children who are being abused, parents who are afraid they might hurt their child and need help, community members who know or suspect a child is being abused. An estimated 1,600 calls are received each month, with almost 20,000 calls from children, parents, caregivers, concerned citizens and others received over the past year.

Service providers, particularly those that work directly with children, will also be the recipients of the newly revised BC Handbook for Action on Child Abuse and Neglect. The comprehensive handbook features information about:

* identifying and reporting suspected child abuse and neglect;
* relevant law and government policies; and
* the roles, shared responsibilities and accountability of service providers in responding to suspected child abuse and neglect.

A 16-page brochure - Responding to Child Welfare Concerns: Your Role in Knowing When and What to Report - will be available to the general public. Both publications, as well as a poster featuring the 310-1234 number, will also be available to download from the ministry website at www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/child_protection/.

"It is encouraging, from a policing perspective, to see our legislators in British Columbia setting an example for the rest of Canada by supporting and facilitating a collaborative approach to the recognition, prevention and response to the abuse of children," said Saanich Police Inspector John Charlton, Officer in Charge, Detective Division.

B.C. law requires that anyone who has concerns about a child needing protection has a duty to report those concerns.