As the local agency mandated to protect children and youth in Halton Region, the Halton Children’s Aid Society (Halton CAS) is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion for our staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, resource providers, clients and our Halton communities.

The Halton CAS is very disappointed by the decision of the Halton Catholic District School Board (HCDSB) Trustees to not raise the Pride Flag at every school in June to celebrate Pride Month. The gesture of raising the Pride Flag is a strong demonstration of allyship and solidarity with members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Halton Region, across the country and around the world. Preventing equal access to representation is a disservice to the 2SLGBTQ+ community. As students spend a significant proportion of their time each day in the school environment, it is particularly important for them to feel safe and accepted at their schools.

At the Halton Children’s Aid Society (Society) the health and safety of our children, youth, staff, resource providers and volunteers remains our top priority and we continue to take a proactive approach to protect those we serve. We want to do our part to continue to limit the spread of infection and ensure we are able to meet the needs of the community we serve.

In response to the evolving COVID-19 situation, the Province of Ontario has identified children’s aid societies as an essential service; therefore,

**Please be assured the public can continue to access child protection services 24 hours a day,
7 days a week at 905.333.4441 or 866.607.6547 (KIDS)**

Our Burlington office is open from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm daily. Our Milton Office is open for family visits; however, visits are by appointment only, which has been extended to August 31, 2021. We ask that you call our offices to report information or schedule an appointment to meet with us. You can reach us 24/7 at 905.333.4441 or 866.607.KIDS (5437).

We have a Moving Forward and Business Continuity Plan in place and we actively monitor the situation and respond as required. Effective March 16, 2020, practice guidelines were put in place for all Society operations and those guidelines were revised effective April 1, 2021.