Phew. Finally, the long workend is over. As is my event, which went well…

Here’s a link to the backgrounder from Premier’s Office in English, also available in French.

And although the reports won’t hit newspapers until tomorrow morning, we’ve got some decent coverage coming from all the major news outlets since it’s already on CP NewsWire.

McGuinty Government Launches New Action Plan On Domestic Violence
Proactive Plan Puts New Emphasis On Prevention And Better Community Support For Abused Women And Their Children

QUEEN’S PARK, ON, Dec. 13 /CNW/ – Enhanced counseling and housing supports for victims, more training for front-line workers, improvements to the justice system and an innovative public education campaign are all part of the government’s new comprehensive action plan on domestic violence against women and children, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced today.
“Women and children have the right to live free of fear and violence, especially in their homes,” said Premier McGuinty. “The action plan we’re announcing today is a major step forward that places a new emphasis on preventing abuse before it happens and supporting victims when it does happen.”
Sandra Pupatello, the Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues, stressed that domestic violence is everyone’s concern.
“We all share a responsibility for the protection and safety of women in abusive situations. Our plan brings together a wide range of partners to improve public awareness, change attitudes and help break the cycle of violence,” Pupatello said.

The four-year plan includes:

– $56 million to provide better community supports for victims, including enhanced counseling services and second-stage housing supports
– $5.9 million to train front-line workers, professionals, families, neighbours and friends to recognize early signs of abuse and help victims get the information and support they need
– A $4.9 million major public education and prevention campaign, designed to change attitudes and mobilize communities to stop violence before it happens
– Improvements to Ontario’s criminal and family justice system to better protect women and their children and hold abusers accountable for their violent behaviour.

The plan will also target programs and services to meet the needs of women in diverse, at-risk communities.
“We are pleased that the Ontario government is taking action and that its plan includes strengthening community organizations, building public awareness and involving a broad range of services, sectors and partners,” said Margot Franssen, co-President of the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
The Domestic Violence Action Plan was developed following consultation with more than 180 experts and front-line workers from across the province, and with collaboration among the 13 government ministries that deliver programs and services related to domestic violence.
“Our government’s plan for Ontario is all about strengthening our province by strengthening our people,” said Premier McGuinty. “Women can’t build the lives they deserve when they live with the threat of violence or the reality of physical and emotional abuse. And children can’t reach their full potential when they fear what happens in their own homes. This is a plan to protect and support them.”

Backgrounder – December 13, 2004
A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACTION PLAN FOR ONTARIO

The government’s new action plan to address domestic violence enhances existing domestic violence programs and services and implements new initiatives. It places new emphasis on prevention and better community support for abused women and their children.

Better Community-based Supports for Victims

The government is investing to provide stabilized funding to core services, and to expand community supports:
– Annual funding for community-based counseling services will be increased by $2.5 million starting in 2005-06 to address waiting lists and gaps in services for specific populations.
– Funding to the Transitional and Housing Support Program will be increased by $1 million annually for a total of $10.1 million to enhance shelter and transitional and second-stage housing supports.
– A one-time investment of $2 million will be made to refurbish existing women’s shelters and second-stage housing.
– Funding of $3.5 million annually over the next two years and $1.4 million annually from 2007-08 onward will go to help women’s agencies, such as shelters, transitional and second-stage housing to improve their functional capacity and help them become more financially independent. This is in addition to the 3 per cent annual operating increase being provided to shelters, counseling services and crisis lines.
– $500,000 will go towards training social housing providers on issues facing abused women.
– $500,000 in 2004-05, growing to $2 million in 2007-08 will go to a new pilot training program to help abused women succeed in the workforce and gain economic independence.
– Annual funding of $3.5 million is being invested in housing supports for abused women.
– Stable funding in the amount of $2.4 million over three years will go to the Domestic Violence Community Coordinating Committees to enhance program and service co-ordination.

Identify Women and Children at Risk and Intervene Earlier

The government will spend $5.9 million over four years for training, research and conferences in key sectors to help prevent domestic violence:

– Professionals and service providers will be trained to intervene early and offer appropriate response, information and supports.
– Expert training panels will develop training materials tailored to front-line workers, professionals, family, friends and neighbours to help them detect early signs of abuse.
– Ontario will host a major provincial symposium in fall 2005 for community leaders, experts and service providers to share best practices in preventing domestic violence. This will be the first in a series of bi-annual provincial conferences on domestic violence.

Change Attitudes to Prevent Violence from Happening in the First Place

The $4.9 million, four-year, public education and prevention campaign will mobilize communities to play an active role in ending violence against women and girls. The multi-faceted campaign will include television ads, web-based information, community pilots and school resources to promote healthy, equal relationships and prevent violence from happening in the first place. One component, a high-profile public education campaign, Breaking the Code, will target boys and girls aged eight to 14 years, and the adults who influence them.

Strengthening the Justice System Response

The government is:
– Convening an inaugural meeting of federal / provincial / territorial attorneys general and Ministers Responsible for Women’s Issues in 2005, to discuss key issues related to improvements needed in the justice system’s response to abused women.
– Reviewing and proposing amendments to the Children’s Law Reform Act to require courts to consider domestic violence when making orders relating to the custody of, or access to, a child.
– Improving programs that serve incarcerated women who have been victims of physical or sexual abuse.
– Evaluating and improving domestic violence courts, including an examination of the experience of women from diverse communities and research on the effectiveness of Partner Assault Response Programs for abusers.
– Evaluating existing bail safety pilot programs.
– Funding a technical and literature review of electronic monitoring systems to assess the impact on persons who have abused their significant others.
– Improving civil protections for abused women, including improvements in restraining orders and enforcement of breaches.
– Helping to prevent offenders from harassing or threatening abused women via telephone from jail.
– Improving communications between family courts and criminal courts.
– Funding a symposium in Toronto to examine different models of integrated service and information sharing systems to improve co-ordination between family and criminal courts.
– Pilot testing the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) tool with police, Crown attorneys and others in the justice system to identify and assess risk in abusive situations.
– Creating new policies and police training to address the issue of dual charging.

Access to French-language violence prevention services will be improved within all components of the Domestic Violence Action Plan, in accordance with the French Language Services Act.

Contacts: Stephanie Nadalin, Minister’s Office, (416) 325-5219 / Barbara McIntosh, Communications, (416) 314-7238

Disponible en fran̤ais Рwww.gov.on.ca/citizenship/owd

Don’t say I never do anything useful for this province. As Cibo Matto would say, “Vive la woman!”