A few words from Sandra Newton, Manager, Child Safety Link
Prevention matters to all of us. When we, our friends, or family are injured, it often becomes the most important focus in our lives. That’s why we started Child Safety Link (CSL)—a program of IWK Health dedicated preventing injuries in the first place. We are not here to prevent the bumps and bruises of everyday life – in fact, those are important for a child’s learning and development. Our goal is to help reduce the incidence and severity of the serious, life-changing injuries. We know that injuries kill more children than all other causes combined. Did you know that in 2018 in Atlantic Canada, there were 46,181 emergency department visits for children under 14 years due to an unintentional injury and 750 hospitalizations? The good news is, we have made progress. Although still high, deaths and hospitalizations have gone down over the past two decades.
Over the years, we have created tools and strategies that can be used in communities and have advocated for stricter policies that can help protect our children. Along the way, we’ve had the good fortune of working with inspirational community groups, government departments and private sector stakeholders that have helped guide us. We have learned that it does “take a village” and that working hand in hand with these partners is truly the key to successfully reducing the incidence and severity of injuries to children and youth.
This year, as we celebrate 20 years of injury prevention, we are pleased to be expanding our reach to all of Atlantic Canada where possible! Our services now include the following:
- A wide library of educational resources for both families and professionals (fact sheets, videos, infographics, etc.) in a growing selection of languages
- Consultations for those who work with families
- Tools for law enforcement, hospitals, health practitioners, family resource centres…and much more!
- Please link here for a comprehensive list of CSL’s services: https://www.childsafetylink.ca/about-us/csl-services
This fall, CSL is also excited to be launching The Link, an online community of practice that acts as a hub for child injury prevention tools and resources. The Link will act as a promotional tool for trainings and events, a networking tool to connect across sectors, and ultimately bridge the gap between key interested parties. This community is different from our website and social media pages as it is specifically designed for the professionals and other service providers who support families and are passionate about children’s injury prevention. To register for The Link: https://child-safety-link.mobilize.io/registrations/groups/68089
Reflecting on our past 20 years, we are proud of the accomplishments of Child Safety Link, our partners and collaborators who work to keep injury prevention a priority. Prevention is not easy, but the Child Safety Link team continues to work passionately with partners across Atlantic Canada to support families and caregivers, advocate for healthy public policy, and promote injury prevention. We want to thank them for their dedication. If you work with families and are looking for information on child and youth injury prevention, please drop us a line at childsafetylink@iwk.nshealth.ca, connect with us on our new website at www.childsafetylink.ca, see our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@childsafetylink).
We look forward to hearing from you, and continuing to strive towards our collective goal of healthy children.
Sandra Newton
Manager, Child Safety Link