FERGUS – A group of parents in Centre Wellington is banding together to form a local chapter of the Block Parent Program of Canada.
Block parents support children, seniors and others in need by offering assistance during dangerous or frightening situations.
According to Block Parent Program of Canada officials, the registered charity is the largest volunteer-run child-safety organization in Canada.
Fergus mom Sarah O’Brien said she is starting up the Centre Wellington Block Parents group because she is concerned about changes she has noticed in the community.
“I’ve lived here basically my whole life,” O’Brien said. “The population is just booming … things are really changing.”
O’Brien has three sons under six-years old and said she hopes within a few years they will be able to start going to the park with their friends, but that she feels uncomfortable about that because of “waves of weird behaviour” in the area.
She said this includes the recent incidents with people claiming to represent the Red Cross attempting to enter homes and reports of people being followed and suspicious people lingering at parks.
“It makes me uneasy,” she said.
Block parent volunteers are given an official red and white sign from the Block Parent Program of Canada. This sign is then hung in a visible door or window whenever the block parent is available to lend a helping hand.
O’Brien said a common misconception about the program is that the volunteers need to be available all the time – they don’t, they just need to be available while the sign is on display.
And volunteers do not need to invite people into their homes, she added – often all that is needed is assistance making a phone call on the porch.
O’Brien said people may visit block parents’ homes if they are stuck outside during bad weather, such as in the summer when “suddenly tornado clouds role in,” or during freezing rain in colder months. Or kids may stop in if they are experiencing bullying, she added.
“They may just need somewhere to stay for a little bit, like a porch.”
Volunteers do not need to be parents to sign up – just people with a willingness to help, she noted.
Though there is no training to become a block parent, new volunteers will be given instructions about what is and is not expected of them.
All volunteers must get a vulnerable sector police check specifically for their position as a block parent, along with everyone else in the home who is over 18 years-old.
Businesses may also apply to join the block parent program, in which case every staff member over 18 must apply for a police check.
These police checks are free of charge.
O’Brien said it has been a slow start to get volunteers so far, but she is hopeful the program takes off locally.
“There are about 20 people working on police checks,” she said, and signs from Block Parent Program of Canada are on their way in the mail.
O’Brien said a variety of people have expressed interest, some with young kids and others with teenagers, and with “a good balance between Fergus and Elora.”
The group is also looking for volunteers who can help with Centre Wellington Block Parent’s social media, fundraising and printing materials.
Block parents will meet once every month or two, ideally starting in February, O’Brien said.
And all data about the program’s use and details about any incidents will be collected and reported to the Block Parent Program of Canada, she added.
For more information about the Block Parent Program of Canada, visit blockparent.ca.
To become a Centre Wellington Block Parent email cwblockparent@gmail.com.
