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When Sarah leaves her house this afternoon to go play with her friends, can her parents trust that she will come back unharmed?
If the neighborhood鈥檚 play area hasn鈥檛 been upgraded, it鈥檚 likely she could catch herself on a sharp edge, fall because of loose handrails, or get stuck between a widening gap.
It鈥檚 a parent鈥檚 natural instinct to protect their child, and while scrapes and bruises are an inevitable part of growing up, play areas and equipment shouldn鈥檛 pose a serious threat to their safety.
Sarah is every child 鈥� yours or your neighbor鈥檚 鈥� who deserves to play freely without worry. 鈥˙CAA is committed to doing its part in protecting kids through various community initiatives.
The School Safety Patrol Program is BCAA鈥檚 way of keeping children safe on the roads by providing elementary schools with safety equipment and training materials, allowing students to help their peers cross the street safely in their school zones.
More than 5,000 鈥楽low Down, Kids Playing鈥� signs have been distributed since 2013 to encourage drivers to slow down in residential areas. Additionally, nearly 6,000 car seats have been given out to those in need over the past three years as part of their Community Child Car Seat Program in partnership with The United Way of the Lower Mainland.
Now, BCAA has its sights set on making safety a priority by refurbishing worn play spaces. That could be a community centre, a splash pad, a bicycle path, an after-school program facility, a skate park or even a playground 鈥� anywhere that kids go to play and develop.
According to Parachute, a national injury prevention organization, more than 28,000 children are injured every year on playgrounds across Canada. If you believe your neighbourhood鈥檚 play space is in need of repair, then BCAA wants to hear about it.
The Play Here initiative is a new, annual program that awards up to a $100,000 worth of repair and revitalization to a community play space. In May, a judging panel will decide the top five finalists, and then it鈥檚 up to public voting to decide the winner on behalf of BCAA and its partners. Nominations are currently open until May 1st.
Above all, taking actions means making sure kids like Sarah come home with new stories, not injuries. Nominate your community play space or facility, and together with BCAA, keep children safe now and for years to come.
To nominate or vote for a play space in your area, visit