Overview

The Block Parent Program of Canada was launched in 1968 following a tragic child abduction and homicide in Ontario. It rapidly expanded across the country, becoming the largest volunteer-led child safety initiative. For over fifty years, the program relied on volunteer homemakers, mostly stay-at-home mothers, who signaled their homes as safe havens for distressed children. Supported by partnerships with police, local businesses, and schools, the program provided a community-based approach to child protection. Although participation declined over the years, recent concerns about bullying, traffic safety, and child protection have sparked renewed interest in Block Parent communities. Guardians of the Community examines the social, political, technological, and cultural conditions that shifted along with the program to understand the landscape of child protection and community crime prevention over the last five decades. The book draws upon open-ended interviews with key figures who were instrumental in launching and leading the Block Parent Program, analyses of annual reports and documents from the program, and public sources including newspapers, social media, and Hansard debates to explore public and political perceptions of the program and related safety concerns. In exploring the motivations of underlying involvement in child safety programs, Guardians of the Community reveals the connections between community engagement and cohesion, civic responsibility, and concerns around child protection.

Full Product Details

9781487560058

Table of Contents

Reviews

“This book provides valuable insights into an anachronistic program that was once ubiquitous in many parts of Canada (including my childhood suburban neighbourhood). The authors make a unique contribution to the literature by examining a community safety initiative that has largely flown under the radar of researchers. By examining the program’s rise and fall, this study highlights the complex interplay between social changes, community engagement, and perceptions of safety, while also exploring the symbolic and practical aspects of grassroots programs that aim to protect children.” -- Stephen Schneider, Professor of Criminology, Saint Mary's University “Kimberly N. Varma and Kanwal Khokhar are both well acquainted and conversant in criminological and crime prevention literature. In Guardians of the Community, they shed light on an important subject, capturing a very significant attempt by communities to ‘protect’ their children during a time of rapid social change. As concerns about child protection remain central to public, police, and criminal justice discourse, understanding the actions taken in the past in this area is vital.” -- Tullio Caputo, Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Carleton University

Author Information

Kimberly N. Varma is a professor in the Department of Criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University. Kanwal Khokhar is a federal government policy advisor, working on Indigenous inclusion at Natural Resources Canada.

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