Montreal group holds major forum on preventing early childhood neglect [Video]

Asking for help wasn’t always easy for Valérie Houle, but the single mother of two young children believes doing so saved her and her family.

“In the worst moments of my life, [Répit Providence] gave me hope for the future,” she says.

Isolated and without a support network, Houle turned to Répit Providence, a community organization supporting parents and children in Montreal.

“I was anxious and afraid of letting my children down,” she says, adding the group gave her the tools she needed.

While there are many organizations whose mission is to support families, they often work in silos, according to Susan Poon.

“We are trying to break this cycle,” says the family social worker and pedagogical director at Répit Providence.

A forum on early childhood neglect prevention, organized by Repit Providence, was held on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (Laurence Brisson Dubreuil/CTV News)

This lack of collaboration can result in child neglect.

“It’s one of the biggest issues faced by social workers,” Poon added.

That’s why Répit Providence made …