BC Foster Parents Receive PURPLE
10.23.2009 14:09
On October 23, 2009, the Honourable Mary Polak, BC Minister of Children and Family Development announced that PURPLE training was being extended to foster parents. “Foster parents care for newborns and infants like any other new parent, so it’s important that they too receive the right training to prevent instances of shaken baby syndrome,” said Minister Polak.
Foster parents are the latest group of parents to receive the Period of PURPLE Crying program. The ministry is providing training materials to all foster homes that care for children aged zero to three years - approximately 1,000 homes province-wide. Ministry social workers and contracted family support workers will also receive training and PURPLE materials will be included into the mandatory 53 hour foster parent training curriculum.
Marilyn Barr, Executive Director of Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome BC and Dr. Ronald G. Barr, Head of Developmental Neurosciences and Child Health at the Child and Family Research Institute reported that educating parents on normal infant crying may not only prevent shaken baby syndrome but other forms of infant abuse as well. Melanie Filiatrault, President of the BC Foster Parent Associations and Zmirah Rosenthal, a foster parent who has been caring for an SBS victim for 14 years also spoke of the importance of PURPLE.
Please click here to view CBC's interview with Marilyn Barr at the foster parent announcement.
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