Block parents looking for a little help

The situation is somewhat less dire in St. Laurent, but is still a cause for concern. Today, there are only 350 Block Parent houses in St. Laurent, down from 505 in 1997 – a 31-per-cent decline. St. Laurent Block Parents supervisor Regina Silverman attributes the drop in involvement to the aging of the population.

"Now, a lot of the people who could have given their time as volunteers are senior citizens and unfortunately, are a little more nervous about the idea than they used to be," she said.

A municipal crime-prevention grant is funding a St. Laurent Women's Centre project designed to curb violence against women, and the Block Parents organization will be involved in the project as a way to raise their profile in the borough.

The reasons for the decline in Block Parents are many, another organization rep said.

"It used to be that women stayed home during the day. They had the time to do the volunteer work. Now, it's completely different. Even cell phones have made people feel a little bit safer," said Montreal region Block Parents president Francine Chartrand.

Cell phones, working women and aging populations aside, the big issue with Block Parents right now is a financial one.

The non-profit organization is now feeling the effects of the steady decline in membership over the past few years. The equation is simple: no money equals no publicity, and no publicity equals no new recruits. Volunteers make up the base of the Block Parents program.

Fundraisers such as garage sales have come and gone, but the cash those efforts bring in don't match the amount of money no longer coming in from municipal, provincial and federal grants.

But a kid is a kid, whether they were born on the slopes of Mount Royal, in St. Laurent or in the suburbs.

"Children in distress are everywhere, whether they are lost, hurt, scared or have been attacked, and we help 4,600 kids a year," she added.

Fortunately, some big names have come out in support of the organization, in an effort to raise the group's public profile. That's the case with, most notably, Nathalie Simard and Dr. Chicoine, who were both present at the Block Parents' 30th annual convention, held June 1-3 in Quebec City.

But how much can Nathalie Simard help to make people more aware of Block Parents? And if it's all a matter of money, how much does a traumatized child cost society? How much is a kidnapped child worth? Can you really put a price on that?

(Translated by Marc Lalonde)