David has been a longtime advocate for mediation and collaborative law and has been practicing family law in Waterloo Region since the late 1990’s. Most recently he has been wrapping up his family law practice in order to pursue something that feeds his passion for this sector in our community.  The role of Executive Director for the Child Witness Centre is just the sort of position he has been looking for.  He has worked with the Office of the Children’s Lawyer since 2004 and through that office he also became a member of a specialized anti-human trafficking team.  He is a speaker on this subject and last year was a sponsor and presenter for Chelsea’s story, an initiative to build awareness about Human Trafficking that was co-led by the Sexual Assault Support Centre and the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council.

David was born and raised in Windsor and earned his law degree at the University of Windsor. He and his wife are raising their family here and he is very active in the community including Director roles with the Kitchener Panthers and Owl Child Care Services.

   David has a passion for helping children and youth. He is very community minded and believes strongly in collaboration which he has demonstrated successfully throughout his career.  He is a forward thinker and he will provide great leadership to the Child Witness Centre, ensuring that young victims and witnesses of abuse and crime can grow up feeling safe, valued and heard, empowering them towards strong futures. 

More than twice a day a young person in Waterloo Region finds the courage to tell someone that they have experienced abuse and every day children, youth and their families are supported through an investigation and beyond, ensuring they are heard, helped and can begin to heal.

Research indicates that when a child or youth is unsupported they are:

• 30% less likely to graduate from high school
• 26x more likely to experience homelessness
• Boys who are abused by a family member and are unsupported become 45x more likely to perpetrate dating violence

In the CYAC, the Child and Youth Advocates support children, youth under the age of 18 in Waterloo Region and their families through the investigations of abuse and violence and beyond, regardless of whether charges are laid.  The Advocate’s role is to provide child and youth-focused, trauma-informed support creating a child and youth-friendly experience while ensuring wraparound services are available to meet the unique needs of the child, youth and family.

They provide young people and their families with information about the investigative process, support their emotional needs with coping tools and strategies, and assess their needs for ongoing and additional support.  Their support once the investigation has been completed, helps young people and their families navigate and connect with the services in our community that will best meet their needs.

Laureen thanked our speaker

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