David S. Howes Fund supports project expansion, to deliver vital education
to more students across Niagara
Niagara Region, ON [May 22, 2025] – Each year, close to 300 children and youth walk
through the doors of the Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre to meet with Police.
They are young residents who have been the victims of abuse, internet luring or the
witness to violence. While the Centre then supports those children with mental
health care, and other programs and services, how do we prevent these types of
traumas from happening in the first place?
Through a partnership with the Niagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB) and
the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN), the Kids First Project delivers
educational content to students in their classrooms, teaching valuable skills on how
they can keep themselves safe offline and online.
Thanks to support from Niagara Community Foundation- David S. Howes Fund, the
Centre will be able to expand the Kids First Project for the coming school year, with
an aim to reach more students in more classrooms across the Region.
The Kids First Project is a series of free presentations, available to all schools across
Niagara for students in JK-Grade 12. Content which is aligned with curriculum
fulfilments range from safe and unsafe touching to secret keeping and privacy,
rewarding relationships, red flags, texting content and social media.
We are incredibly grateful to Niagara Community Foundation - David S. Howes Fund
for their generous support of the Kids First Project. This investment allows us to
expand our reach in delivering essential education and prevention programs to
children and youth across Niagara. Together, we are helping young people build safer,
healthier futures—one classroom at a time. Brian Bratt – Executive Director, Kristen
French Child Advocacy Centre.
Teachers, Principals, Child & Youth Workers who are interested in booking a
presentation for their school/classroom can email: programs@kristenfrenchcacn.org
To learn more about the Kids First Project offered by the Kristen French Child Advocacy
Centre, visit;
https://www.kristenfrenchcacn.org/education-outreach/for-educators-youth-workers/
About The Kristen French Child Advocacy Centre
At the Centre, we transform lives by providing a safe and supportive environment
where children and youth can speak about their experiences to professionals, heal
from adverse childhood experiences and build resilience so they can overcome the
debilitating effects of childhood trauma.
Working collaboratively with the Niagara Regional Police Service and Family and
Children’s Services Niagara, the Centre is a charitable, community supported
organization that serves Niagara’s 12 municipalities helping children, youth and
families cope with the life altering impact of physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or of
being an unwilling witness to violence.