From Niagara Frontier Publications, February 26, 2021
The Osborne Association and the Buffalo Police Department announced the Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents Project to develop and enact a child-sensitive policing policy, protocols, and training to minimize the potential trauma for children from parental arrest and other police enforcement activities. A new consortium of WNY youth-serving agencies is advising the project and working to provide trauma-informed follow-up services to children and families.
The innovative training project is funded through a significant contribution from AT&T and an implementation grant from the WNY COVID-19 Community Response Fund administered by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo through its “Moving Forward Together” initiative. Together, these grants will allow Osborne’s Buffalo FamilyWorks program and the Buffalo Police Department to address the harmful impact of a parent’s arrest on children and families.
A press release stated, “Police officers are in a unique position to reduce the potential trauma to children present during an arrest – a life-altering experience that may well be the worst day of their lives. For the last six months, Osborne has worked with community stakeholders, government agencies, area nonprofits, and local law enforcement to assess community needs and develop child sensitive arrest policies. Osborne and the Buffalo Police Department will now work to train and support more than 750 officers and staff in these child-sensitive protocols.”
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