POLICY JOURNEY
GET INVOLVED
Join a coalition building the national framework Canada has been missing.
PROTECT Canada is expanding its coalition of organizations and professionals committed to coordinated child protection reform. Coalition membership is organized primarily through six working groups, one per pillar.
HOW THE COALITION WORKS
A consensus-informed, multi-sector policy development model
PROTECT Canada operates as a coalition rather than a membership association with formal dues. The primary commitment is active participation in one or more working groups, contributing substantively to policy development and maintaining engagement over time.
Working group structure. Each group develops shared policy positions drawing on legal analysis, academic research, jurisdictional comparisons, practitioner experience, and survivor perspectives.
Legislative responsiveness. Groups maintain flexibility to respond to emerging federal and provincial legislative windows with rapid submissions or interventions.
Governance. A Project Steering Committee with cross-sector representation will provide strategic oversight of framework development.
WHO SHOULD JOIN
Sectors actively sought
We are building a coalition that reflects the full complexity of this issue.
Academic & research institutions
Child protection, law, clinical psychology, public health, Indigenous studies.
Survivor-serving organizations
Direct service providers, advocacy organizations, peer support networks.
Child advocacy centres
National and regional CACs, with multi-disciplinary investigation expertise.
Indigenous organizations & leaders
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit organizations with community-based expertise.
Legal reform advocates
Criminal law, family law, and child rights expertise.
Technology & online safety experts
Digital safety, platform accountability, AI-generated content.
Mental health & clinical professionals
Psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, trauma specialists.
Law enforcement & justice partners
RCMP, municipal police, Crown prosecutors, victim services.
Youth, family & community care
Foster care, kinship care, family support, community organizations.
Priority recruitment: national Child Advocacy Centres, legal reform advocates with Criminal Code expertise, and technology experts in platform accountability and AI-generated content.
THE SIX WORKING GROUPS
Six working groups. One shared direction.
01
Judicial Reform Working Group
Criminal Code modernization, trauma-informed judicial processes, sentencing consistency, victim rights, coercive control legislation.
02
Online Safety Working Group
Platform accountability, CSAM takedown, AI-generated content, sextortion, age verification, cross-border data preservation.
03
Institutional Accountability Working Group
Mandatory reporting harmonization, institutional liability, NDA limitations, Limitations Act reform.
04
Survivor Rights Working Group
National service standards, care portability, Victims Bill of Rights, sustainable funding models.
05
Prevention Working Group
Cross-jurisdictional prevention, school curriculum standards, digital safety education, early risk identification.
06
Trafficking Response Working Group
Cross-sector trafficking identification, survivor-informed pathways, national coordination.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
From initial contact to active participation
Reach out through the contact form. Tell us about your organization, expertise, and which working group or pillar is most relevant. Our team will follow up to discuss fit and next steps.
In the coming months, formal working group terms of reference will be finalized. A Project Steering Committee will be established. Coalition partners will be among the first to receive framework outputs, briefing materials, and legislative updates.
