Wear purple today

This is Child Abuse Prevention Month and the Children’s Aid Society is encouraging people to wear purple today in support of child abuse prevention efforts.

Matthew Twomey is with community service at the Children’s Aid Society of Nipissing and Parry Sound.

He says it’s important for people to speak up.

“If they see a child being abused it’s their responsibility to speak up. It’s important to break the silence that if a young person doesn’t have the strength to speak up it’s our responsibility to do it for them,” he says.

Twomey says if you don’t want to tell someone yourself and you suspect child abuse contact CAS.

‘That’s what we’re here for to help children who might need help and might not be able to help themselves. They might be afraid to ask for help from other people,” he says.

CAS officials are holding an event today and they’ve also held a poster contest with the local schools to highlight Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Dress Purple Day was adopted by Children’s Aid Society’s across the province to spread the message of speaking up about child abuse.