$100K grant to child protection centre honours royal baby

The federal government on Thursday gave $100,000 to the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to support the Winnipeg-based centre’s efforts to keep kids safe online.

The donation was made in the name of His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, the first child born to Prince William and Kate, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

"Through this gift, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection will provide more parents and schools with important safety resources to address online bullying," said Minister of Justice Peter MacKay, who was joined by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's wife, Laureen, at the announcement. 

"Over the past year, we have all witnessed the complex nature of cyberbullying and the challenges faced when sexual violence, technology and bullying collide,"  Lianna McDonald, the executive director of the child protection centre said, referring to Rehtaeh Parsons, the Nova Scotia teen who was bullied online and then took her own life.

​

"We are committed to helping teens, families and schools navigate through these challenging situations so that youth can thrive, feeling both safe and supported in their communities.”

The donation comes on Cybertip.ca Awareness Day, during which law enforcement agencies across Canada will distribute the child protection centre’s new safety resource, Parenting Teens and Tweens In the Digital World.

The brochure includes information on trends and online risks that Cybertip.ca has noticed in reports from the public such as sexting, online luring, and cyberbullying.