More school staff to receive child sexual abuse prevention training

The Newfoundland and Labrador government is expanding a child-safety training program to more school staff across the province.

Women and Gender Equality Minister Lela Evans and Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Paul Dinn announced $200,000 in funding Wednesday through the National Action Plan to End Gender-Based Violence to expand the online Commit to Kids training program.

The program, created by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, was first offered in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2024 and is supported by the Newfoundland and Labrador Teachers’ Association.

Since its introduction, 1,140 people working with students in Grades 7 to 12 have completed the training.

The province's goal this year is to train another 1,000 people working in the kindergarten to Grade 12 system. Participants will include teachers, administrators, student assistants, bus drivers and other school staff.

The training covers how to recognize signs of child sexual abuse, identify behaviours that may put children at risk, respond appropriately when a child raises a concern and help create safer environments for children and youth.

The government says the initiative is being complemented by Newfoundland and Labrador's new health education curriculum, which takes a trauma-informed approach to topics including healthy relationships, consent, personal boundaries, communication and social-emotional well-being.

The curriculum also includes age-appropriate material related to gender-based violence prevention, including intimate partner violence, exploitation, grooming, coercion and online safety.

“Every child deserves to learn and grow in a safe and supportive environment,” Evans said. “This investment will ensure that more educators and school staff throughout Newfoundland and Labrador have access to training that helps them identify risks, support children who may be experiencing abuse, and contribute to a culture of safety and respect.”