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Thursday, O ctober 15, 2015 - The IFP - H alton H ills - w w w .theifp.ca Page 23 Georgetown's trusted choice for hearing care 360 Guelph St., Unit 44 Georgetown (In the Knolcrest Centre) 905.877.8828 FREE consultation 90 day RISK FREE trial Armstrong Ave Delrex Blvd Visit us today for some sound advice! Don't put up with hearing loss anymore... Gary Carr Regional Chair Meetings at Halton Region, 1151 Bronte Rd., Oakville, L6M 3L1 Visit halton.ca/meetings for full schedule. 311halton.ca PUBLIC INFORMATIONCENTRE ActonReservoir Expansion TownofHaltonHills (Acton) PR-2784 Halton Region is planning to expand the Acton Reservoir within theTown of Halton Hills (Acton) beginning spring of 2016. A Public Information Centrewill be held for residents whowant to learnmore about the construction project. Please drop in at any time. Halton staffwill be available to answer your questions. Date: TuesdayOctober 27, 2015 Time: 6:30 to 8:30p.m. Place: ActonArena&Community Centre -Hall C 415QueenStreet, Acton If youwould like to learnmore about the project and are unable to attend the Public Information Centre, please contact: Caroline Hales ProjectManager Halton Region 905-825-6000, Ext. 7612 caroline.hales@halton.ca 15 10 15Please contact us as soon as possible if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. Make an informed decision this Federal Election On September 23, Halton Region sent local federal election candidates a questionnaire that profiles five of the community's growth-related issues and asks how theywould address these challenges if elected. Candidate responses, as they are received, have been posted on the Region's website to help youmake an informed decision about the future of our region. A strongHalton helps build a strong Canada, and I encourage all residents to stay informed and cast their ballot on ElectionDay (October 19). To view candidate responses and learnmore about the issues facing the Region, visithalton.ca/election2015. Nov. 3 9:30 a.m. Health & Social Services Cttee. Nov. 4 9:30 a.m. Planning & PublicWorks Cttee. Nov. 4 1:30 p.m. Admin & Finance Cttee. Nov. 12 9:30 a.m. Regional Council As October is Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Ontario Association of Children's Aid So- cieties (OACAS) and the Halton Children's Aid Society (CAS) is highlighting how calls from the community play a vital role in preventing child abuse. In 2014, more than 171,000 Ontarians reached out to CAS with concerns about the safety of a child. In Halton in 2014, CAS received more than 4,400 requests for services and com- pleted more than 2,000 investigations, which equates to a dozen requests per day from the public for service and the launching, on aver- age, of more than five investigations per day. The Halton CAS provides community-based services in Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville. In Halton, 97 per cent of children and youth remain in their own homes with only three per cent going into care, of which three-quarters are over the age of 12, stated a Halton CAS press release. More than 91 per cent of its protec- tion workers reach out by working directly in schools, counseling agencies and with Halton Regional Police. Halton CAS says it relies on the generosity of donors and the Children's Aid Foundation of Halton to support youth in its care to continue their education and transition into adulthood. "Leading child welfare researchers say there needs to be more education about what a refer- ral to Children's Aid means because many peo- ple feel guilty after they make that call," stated a Halton CAS press release. "People are concerned that Children's Aid Societies are child snatchers. They do not real- ize connecting to Children's Aid means getting access to a level of in-home, on-site services that no other social service will provide the way Chil- dren's Aid Societies do," Nico Trocmé, director of the School of Social Work at McGill University in Montreal, said in the same press release. "(The) focus on in-home, early intervention services is part of the transformation of the On- tario child welfare system that started a decade ago. The approach is based on the recognition that early intervention can reduce the need for more intrusive services later and that children flourish in a caring family setting," added the press release. Early intervention services offered by CAS include counselling and parenting programs and substance abuse treatment. Teachers, followed by police, make the high- est number of referrals to a CAS in Ontario. Professionals and the public are required by the Child and Family Services Act to promptly report any abuse or neglect suspicions. Visit http://haltoncas.ca for more informa- tion about the Halton CAS. NEWS CAS gets a dozen requests for help every day