Sara Austen, CEO and founder of the children’s advocacy group called Children First Canada, says kids need reassurance now more than ever.  She says parents, grandparents and other family members have a really important role to play right now in helping reassure our children.  She notes you don’t have to have all the answers, we don’t have to know what the next weeks or months will hold but we do need to be able to reassure our kids and let our kids talk about the things that they are concerned about adding even very young kids can articulate their fears and concerns and need a chance to talk about it.                                               

Austen says at-risk children will be at a greater risk now that schools are closed.  That’s because they are missing out on breakfast and lunch programs that help them combat hunger. 

They’re also away from the teachers, school nurses and other professionals who keep an eye out for incidents of abuse.     Austen says the cases of abuse are already on the rise due to the stress being created by enforced isolation and lack of finances.