The Block Parent Program (French: Le Programme Parents-Secours) is a large, volunteer-based, child safety & crime prevention program operating across Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Participants in the program (Block Parents) place signs on their homes indicating that the house is a police-screened, safe home for community members in distress, particularly children. If someone is in need of help and see a block parent sign, they know there is someone home who can help them and call the appropriate emergency service

Emergency service

Emergency services are organizations which ensure public safety and health by addressing different emergencies. Some agencies exist solely for addressing certain types of emergencies whilst others deal with ad hoc emergencies as part of their normal responsibilities...

 if necessary.

The program now includes 300,000 participants.

History

The program first began in London, Ontario

London, Ontario

London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

 in 1968. Independent programs began appearing across Canada until 1983 when a national committee was formed and the national Block Parents Program of Canada was created in 1986.

Future of the Block Parent Program and decline

Some provinces and communities are discontinuing, or proposing to discontinue, the Block Parent program, for various reasons. Occasionally, regional programs have been revived after shutting down.

• In March 2005 the B.C.
  British Columbia
  British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
  
   Block Parent Society asked volunteers to remove the signs from homes.

• In Prince Edward Island
  Prince Edward Island
  Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
  
   in November 2006, the Block Parent Program there was discontinued because it was "unable to recruit a provincial executive."

• The programme was discontinued in 2008 in the City of Ottawa
  Ottawa
  Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
  
  .

• In the cities of Kitchener
  Kitchener, Ontario
  The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
  
   and Waterloo
  Waterloo, Ontario
  Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
  
  , the number of participating homes when the program began in the area was over 3,000. Unfortunately, participation suffered an enormous decline until recently by more than 50%. There were less than 1,500 homes involved in the program, and many positions such as event coordinator and treasurer were not filled. This decrease has been attributed to the police checks that are now required for program applicants and those already participating. These factors nearly caused the program in the region to shut down in February 2009 until a group of volunteers revived it a month later.

See also

• Neighborhood watch
  Neighborhood watch
  A neighborhood watch or neighbourhood watch , also called a crime watch or neighborhood crime watch, is an organized group of citizens devoted to crime and vandalism prevention within a neighborhood...
  
  
• National Safe Place
  National Safe Place
  National Safe Place is a non-profit organization based out of Louisville, Kentucky. It originated in 1983 from an initiative known as "Project Safe Place", established by a short-term residential and counseling center for youth ages 13 to 17...
  
   (US)
• Safety House Program
  Safety House Program
  The Safety House Program is a national Australian community based and funded program designed for the safety of children while in transit to and from school. Houses and businesses are selected as safe places for children to seek shelter and safety if required...
  
  (Australia)