Block Parent

Local RCMP review Block Parent “Sign” Program

Block Parent signs throughout the Central Okanagan are being recalled by Kelowna RCMP following a decision to reassess the program’s continued viability as an effective crime prevention program.

The decision comes as the British Columbia Block Parent Society examines a “strategic shift” in their focus following several years of program attrition throughout the province and across Canada.

Program attrition occurred as a result of changing community needs and the arduous nature of administering the Block Parent “sign” Program that involved an extensive screening process and criminal record checks.

Volunteers from the area’s Community Policing Offices are now in the process of contacting each of the registered participants in an effort to locate and retrieve the Block Parent Signs, which remain the property of the Block Parent Program of Canada, Inc.

At the same time, police are asking for the public’s assistance to help out by returning any Block Parent signs to your nearest Community Policing Office along with your name and address.

The Block Parent Program in the Central Okanagan has been providing safe refuge for children in an emergency since 1984. At its peak, approximately 1,700 homes were registered.

Due to the length of time the program has been operating in our area  RCMP view the audit and recall as a necessary measure to maintain the integrity of the Block Parent “sign” Program.

RCMP are reserving a decision on whether the signs are to be reissued pending the recommendations of the British Columbia Block Parent Society “strategic change document” currently under development.

Many of the benefits of the Block Parent Program are also available through the Neighbourhood Watch Program currently being operated and promoted in our area.