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.

On March 16, 2021, the world witnessed another act of racial violence, this time targeting the Asian community in Atlanta, Georgia. A shooting left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women. The Halton Children’s Aid Society denounces these violent acts as well as their racist and misogynistic underpinnings. These continued acts of violence emphasize the vital need to continue the work to end systemic racism, sexism and all forms of oppression.

Since the start of the pandemic, racially-motivated violence against the Asian community has been on the rise both here in Canada and in the US. The Halton Children’s Aid Society acknowledges the impact these traumas bring to individuals and communities including the children, youth and families we help, our staff, our volunteers and our resource parents.