Consider being a North End Block Parent

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/10/2017 (3071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Do you remember seeing those familiar Block Parent signs in the window when you were growing up?  

I recall thinking that those people must be really nice to do that. Did you know the program is still running after 42 years?  In fact, Winnipeg is looking for more block parents as there are currently only two for every 1,000 people.

How did the Block Parents program begin?  

In 1975, a child molestation in Winnipeg prompted parents to approach the city to find a community-based program to help prevent future incidents. Bill Chornopyski, a city councillor at the time, discovered the Block Parents program in Ontario, which had been running since 1968. The city police service initially took charge of implementing the program and the following year it was taken over by a 21-member steering committee of citizens and police.

What are block parents?

A block parent is someone who offers neighbourhood children help from dangerous or frightening situations (such as a loose dog or strangers following them). A block parent responds by calling the appropriate city department, the police, or the parents of the child. Block parents signal their availability by hanging a sign in their windows and taking it down when they are not available.

Any responsible, caring individual over 18 who has completed a police background check and is willing to help when available can be a block parent.

Block parents are not expected to provide food, drink or toilet facilities, transportation, first aid, or assistance in breaking up fights.  

Block parents are simply asked to provide a safe space for children when they sense danger, encounter bad weather, get lost or hurt, or are bullied.

Most of us have busy schedules. We may have reservations about opening our homes to strangers. Block parents do not have to be available all the time, even when home.  And evenings and weekends are as important as school days. You do not have to be a parent. And you do not have to let people in your home if you feel uneasy. 

I have a feeling that the North End is in dire need of Block Parents, both because there is more potential for situations of need and because there is less stable home ownership in our community.

If you’d like to answer the call in building a safer community, particularly for children, please visit the Block Parent website for more information:  www.winnipegblockparents.mb.ca or call 204-284-7562.

Criminal record checks and Child Abuse Registry checks (free of charge) along with completion of a simple application are all that’s needed to become a block parent.

 Sonya Braun is a community correspondent for the North End. You can contact her at sonyajoy@gmail.com

Sonya Braun
Charleswood community correspondent

Sonya Braun is a community correspondent for Charleswood.

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