Last updated: September 19, 2024

You can protect your toddler from abuse by being aware and alert.

Make sure to always know where your child is. Be actively involved in their activities. And know the people who care for your children, including names, phone numbers and addresses.

You should also know everyone who might be around your toddler in someone else's care. Here is more advice for keeping your child safe:

• Be sensitive to changes in your toddler's behaviour or attitude, paying close attention to your intuition that "something isn't quite right"
• Encourage your toddler to tell you if they are not comfortable with caregivers or any other people. This means that, as a parent, you must listen carefully and encourage your toddler to share feelings, especially about friends and relatives. Pay attention when your toddler shies away from someone
• Educate yourself (read, listen and ask)
• You can also support your toddler to develop personal boundaries by not forcing them to give hugs or kisses. Allow your toddler to refuse unwanted kisses, hugs or tickling
• Help your toddler learn that "no means no" when it comes to someone touching their body

If you have questions or suspect child abuse, contact a child welfare worker. The worker can help you determine if there is cause for concern. You don’t have to provide your name.

Anyone who has reason to believe that a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected has a legal duty under the Child, Family and Community Service Act to report the matter to a child protection social worker in either a Ministry of Children and Family Development office, or a First Nations child welfare agency that provides child protection services.

Reporting child abuse

Physical, verbal, or sexual abuse at any time, at any age, or in any relationship is not ok.

Call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number if you or someone you know is in immediate danger from assault or abuse.

To speak to someone confidentially and to get more information, call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (or 7-1-1 for the deaf and hard of hearing) or contact one of the services below.

Helpline for children

If a child anywhere in B.C. needs help, call the Helpline for Children at 310-1234 (no area code) any time of the day or night to speak to a social worker, no area code is needed. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-866-660-0505 for TTY services. This is a toll-free service, and there is no charge to call the operator if you need to call from a pay phone. This helpline is available for children, parents, and other community members to report abuse.

For more information, visit Reporting Child Abuse in BC.

Kids Help Phone

Children and teens can call the Kids Help Phone to speak to a counsellor day or night at 1-800-668-6868. Counsellors are available to speak to anonymously about concerns with abuse and can help children and teens call the police or child protective services.

For more information about the resources and support, visit Kids Help Phone.

VictimLink BC

If you or someone you know is a victim of crime and need more information or support, call VictimLink BC at 1-800-563-0808 for toll-free, confidential, multilingual service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information, visit VictimLink BC.