I seek unanimous consent for members to wear their purple scarves in recognition of Dress Purple Day, to show our support for children in care and the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies.

Tomorrow is Friday, October 27, and as the official opposition critic for children, community and social services, I’m proud to talk about the significance of tomorrow, Dress Purple Day.

On Dress Purple Day, children’s aid societies and Indigenous child and family well-being agencies across Ontario will highlight the role that individuals and communities play in supporting the safety and well-being of children, youth and their families.

We must all join this call to action and awareness. Our support means we acknowledge, recognize and want to be an active part of the solution for children, youth and their families in all of our communities across the province.

We know the kinds of challenges families are facing, which are affecting them more than ever and more often, from food and housing insecurity to mental health and addictions to intimate partner violence. These are the very challenges our communities are struggling to overcome. These are the calls, emails and interactions that we are having daily with our families, friends, neighbours, constituents, stakeholders, community partners and leaders.

When a cry for help comes to our offices, we look for a solution. We share the resources and the tools. We make connections to services and supports that are usually overwhelmed, underfunded or simply pushed to the brink of capacity or, worse yet, closure. All too often, the cries overwhelm the solutions and the referral wheel once again is entered. Asks become survival. Children and youth take on too much weight to bear. Healthy relationships are tough and far between, and tough decisions are made, including housing options, education and health care. Vulnerable situations are escalated, the daily flood of our daily actions and thoughts which take over the day-to-day of so many, especially our children and youth.

Children and youth should be growing up in a world which is supporting them. They should be making lasting memories, learning free from violence in a safe and supportive classroom; building their sense of belonging, their place in the community, their social strength built on love, hope and ambition. They should have the confidence that we are all working together for their futures, their health and their safety, including their mental and physical well-being.

The Dress Purple campaign emphasizes key messaging that is important to share. Here are a few quotes: “We want anyone facing challenges to know that they are part of a community that cares.” “There is help and support.” “You are not alone.”

Here is a quote from Solomon Owoo, interim CEO of the OACAS. He says, “We encourage all Ontarians to come together and send a powerful message to children, youth and families on October 27. We want them to know that there are resources available if they need help, and that they are not alone.”

The campaign also emphasizes the community’s responsibility to speak up for every child and youth’s right to safety and well-being in all spaces, not just their physical safety and well-being, but also their right to have intersectional identity—such as their culture, race, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression—protected and supported. This right extends to the home, the group home, at school and in the community.

We have a collective responsibility to promote the safety and well-being of children and young people in our communities. It is critical we help young people build strong networks of support. Helping children and youth develop strong connections can lessen their vulnerability to harm and can help them recognize where they can turn when they need support.

Solomon went on to say, “Promoting the safety, health, and well-being of children, youth, and families requires system-level thinking. It requires critical self-reflection on the part of child and family service system partners at all levels, from community-based organizations and children’s aid societies to the Ontario government. Dress Purple Day is an opportunity to reflect on the work ahead towards a child and family service system that consistently delivers high-quality, culturally relevant, trauma-informed, community-based care.”

While the focus of the campaign has shifted away from child abuse prevention education, we still want to remind adults of Katelynn’s Principle, that they have a responsibility to call on their local child welfare agency if they have a concern about a child or youth. On Dress Purple Day and every day, let’s all show children, youth and families across this province that they are part of a community that cares and that they matter.

It’s an honour today to rise with my colleagues to reaffirm our support for children and youth, especially our most vulnerable children and youth, on Dress Purple Day and to reaffirm my commitment to working across party lines to support children and youth in our communities.

For years, children’s aid societies, Indigenous and child and family well-being associations in Ontario have used the month of October to remind the public about their role in keeping children and youth in our communities across this province safe. Dress Purple Day is about protecting and supporting children and youth and strengthening families through enhanced community-based prevention and early intervention. It’s also an opportunity to address systemic discrimination based on race, ethnicity, religion, ability, poverty and sexual orientation that can lead to overrepresentation in surveillance of families in certain communities.

Every child and youth in Ontario has the right to feel safe. Every child and youth in Ontario has a right to be well cared for—their physical and mental health and their community connections. On Dress Purple Day, we have a role to play to help vulnerable families and children and youth to feel supported.

With the focus on prevention, I want to talk about the important work of addressing adverse childhood experiences. I want to give a shout-out to Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington and their partners who have a coalition addressing adverse childhood experiences. We know that by addressing adverse childhood experiences, we strengthen youth resiliency, we prevent challenges happening later in life and we improve the quality of life of children, youth and their families.

I also want to just highlight the importance of addressing the mental health challenges that so many young people are facing and the importance of investing in things like youth wellness hubs and other supports for young people to make them more resilient and to make sure we address adverse childhood experiences and that we ensure youth have the supports they need.

I’m honoured to rise today to speak about Dress Purple Day and highlight the important role that we all play in supporting vulnerable children, youth and families year-round. The children in our lives deserve our love, encouragement and safekeeping. I am firm in my stance that any child at any time has a trusting and supportive voice in me, in this chamber, in Beaches–East York and in confidence.

Dress Purple Day is hosted every October to raise awareness of the critical work that children’s aid societies do. They are integral community organizations that are part of the circle of care that promotes the well-being of children, youth and families. Dress Purple Day brings attention to the early help and supportive services available to families facing challenges and to the prevention and early intervention work children’s aid societies do to guide families and keep children and youth at home. They are strongly committed to assisting everyone with informed, anti-racist, equitable policies that protect the needs of Indigenous and Black and African Canadian communities. We have an obligation to keep the children in our communities safe. Beyond being kind role models for children, they should be able to come to us to find resources and to share concerns.

In my riding of beautiful Beaches–East York, we are lucky to have a plethora of organizations and spaces making the world a brighter place for children. Thorncliffe Park Youth Wellness Hub is a welcoming space for youth health and wellness offering free services and fun. Michael Garron Hospital’s Child and Youth Anxiety Clinic provides clinical care and mental health services for children and teenagers. We have active Girl Guides and Scouts Canada programs.

As representatives, we have the opportunity to provide children and families with the resources they need to live happily and free from harm. We can work together with children’s aid societies in our areas and advocate for fulsome funding for their services. Children need and deserve safe communities that include trusted adults. Dress Purple Day is a reminder for us all to create a world that fosters this.

Keep children safe, happy and flourishing so they are ready to be the change-makers of the future. Dress purple on October 27 to show your support.