RDP & Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre Launch 2025 Silent Cries Report

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) and the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) released a new 2025 Silent Cries: Child Abuse Trends in Alberta report. The report provides an in-depth analysis of child abuse data from 2017–2024 and provides recommendations for targeted interventions and policies to enhance Alberta’s child protection system.  

“At RDP, we are dedicated to growing our applied research capacity in child advocacy by leveraging data and industry partnerships to advance the social priorities of communities across Alberta,” says Emile Johnson, Director, Resiliency & Child Advocacy Research, Red Deer Polytechnic. “The 2025 Silent Cries: Child Abuse Trends in Alberta report can serve as a blueprint for child advocacy organizations to help address a crucial need in the province to help children, youth and families.” 

Among the Silent Cries report findings, Alberta experiences higher reported rates of child abuse compared to the national average. Specific demographics, such as individuals with disabilities, Indigenous youth and sexual minorities, reported elevated rates of abuse during childhood. 

“The CACAC works collectively with RDP and other community partners to ensure the needs of children and families are met through an integrated network of professionals and organizations,” says Cassandra Galenzoski, Director of Operations, Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre. “The 2025 Silent Cries report provides tangible recommendations to more efficiently address the abuse of children and help support them in safe and welcoming environments.” 

The report emphasizes increased support for better data collection, Indigenous communities, professional training, stronger legal frameworks and more efficient funding allocation. The 2025 Silent Cries: Child Abuse Trends in Alberta report highlights the benefits of a centralized data repository to enable immediate insights into cases of child abuse. This would help facilitate more effective, data-driven decisions to enhance the allocation of resources and funds. 

Findings from the 2025 Silent Cries: Child Abuse Trends in Alberta report will be presented at the upcoming Transforming Practices Conference being held on May 29 and 30 at Red Deer Polytechnic. Registration for the Conference is open until May 21.

Red Deer Polytechnic is committed to creating innovation ecosystems by working with industry partners, like the CACAA, to enable dynamic, interdisciplinary environments for teaching, learning and applied research. The partnership between the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (CACAC) and Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) focuses on preventing childhood abuse and reducing its long-term effects through a collaborative, trauma-informed approach. By integrating applied research, education, and training, this initiative creates a supportive environment for children and families while advancing best practices in child advocacy. 

Students from a wide range of RDP programs benefit from hands-on learning and research opportunities through engagement with the CACAC and the Sheldon Kennedy Centre of Excellence. This collaboration not only enhances student education and professional readiness but also strengthens community support systems through partnerships with organizations such as Alberta Health Services, RCMP, and the Government of Alberta. 

Read the 2025 Silent Cries: Child Abuse Trends in Alberta report