KITCHENER – Child Witness Centre has made the decision not to run the 2023 Youth Symposium, after taking multiple factors into consideration. Their staff and volunteers were looking forward to welcoming 4,000 Grade 8 students and teachers from Waterloo Region, Guelph, and Wellington County to the 17th annual event.
“This is disappointing,” stated executive director Kim Rodrigues in a press release. “Our resources are stretched, and we need to focus on supporting local, young victims first and foremost. We simply don’t have capacity to deliver this program currently,” Rodrigues stated.
The Child Witness Centre is facing unprecedented demand for their services, coupled with decreased funding, according to the release, supporting an all-time high of at least 1,700 child and youth victims and witnesses in 2022.
Another 300 youths are expected to be on a waiting list for services by spring.
The symposium normally takes place over three consecutive days in April each year.
Child Witness Centre will determine the future of the event when developing their 2023-24 operating plan.
To learn more about this organization and the symposium, visit childwitness.com.
