The Resource Project
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Did You Know?

The first 48 hours following a crisis disclosure are the most vital for establishing a safe, trauma-informed environment that protects a child's long-term emotional recovery.
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The First 48 Hours:

And Immediate Crisis Protocol

You are not alone in this. And your child is fortunate to have you.

There is no way to be fully prepared for a disclosure. Whether your child told you five minutes ago or you are returning to this document after a sleepless night, the shock is real, the fear is real, and the urge to fix everything immediately is real. This section is designed to give you a clear triage framework – not because you need to be perfect, but because having a sequence of priorities can cut through the paralysis that often follows a disclosure. 

Establishing Immediate Safety. Before you do anything else, you need to establish that your child is not in continued danger.

If the person your child identified lives in your home, your immediate priority is preventing further access to your child. Do not leave your child alone with that person. If you are unsure how to safely separate them, or leaving could put you or your child at greater risk, contact Children's Aid or police for immediate guidance. They can advise you on protective orders and emergency placements. See our Support Directory for these contacts.

Do not wait for a criminal conviction, a formal investigation, or anyone else's opinion on what "probably" happened. Err on the side of your child's safety, every time.

The First 48 Hours – A Prioritized Checklist

The following sequence is designed to give you a structured path through the immediate aftermath of a disclosure:

Priority One – Immediate Safety (Hour 0-2)

  • Respond with belief and calm reassurance.

  • Ensure the accused has no access to the child.

  • Do not confront the accused.

  • Do not conduct your own investigation or interrogate your child for details.

Priority Two – Report (Hours 2-24)

  • If your child is under 16, contact your local Children's Aid Society directly. You do not need proof or certainty-reasonable grounds to suspect that a child may need protection are enough. If your child is in immediate danger, call 911. Police may also become involved in investigating an alleged criminal offence. Please refer to Working with Children's Aid Society for more details.

  • If the abuse involved digital content, exploitation, or online luring, report directly to Cybertip.ca, Canada's national tip line.

  • Do not wait to see whether your child "changes their story" before reporting – delayed reporting can affect the investigation.

Priority Three – Seek Specialized Support (Hours 24-48)

  • Ask police or child welfare to connect you with your nearest Child Advocacy Centre (CAC). These multidisciplinary centres bring specially trained professionals together in a child-friendly setting, helping coordinate the investigation and reduce the number of times a child may need to repeat what happened.

  • If you or your child need immediate emotional support, ask police, Children's Aid Society, Victim Services, or your Child Advocacy Centre to connect you with local crisis and counselling resources.

Priority Four – Manage Your Own Immediate State

  • You have just experienced a profound shock. Your nervous system is in crisis mode. This is expected.

  • Reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or therapist for your own immediate support – not to discuss the case, but to ensure you are not navigating this alone.

  • Eating, sleeping, and basic self-regulation in the first 48 hours are not indulgences. They are prerequisite to being present for your child.
The essentials

Make sure your child is physically safe.

  • Tell them, "I believe you."

  • Save this guide - you don't have to read it all today.

  • Choose one trusted adult to support you.

  • If you haven't already, contact police or Children's Aid Society.

  • If the abuse was recent or your child may be injured, determine whether they need urgent medical care.
For Additional Reading and listening:

  • When Your Child Has Been Molested: A Parents’ Guide to Healing and Recovery — Kathryn Brohl & Joyce Case Potter
    A practical guide for parents covering disclosure, reporting, forensic interviews, supporting your child, the justice system and recovery.
    Book information – Wiley

  • Helping Your Child Recover from Sexual Abuse — Caren Adams & Jennifer J. Fay
    Practical guidance about what parents can say and do immediately following a disclosure and throughout recovery. Note: originally published in 1992, so Canadian legal and reporting information in The Resource Project should take precedence.
    Book information – University of Washington Press

  • One in Ten Podcast — National Children’s Alliance
    Expert conversations about child abuse, disclosure, trauma, forensic interviewing, Children’s Advocacy Centres and helping children heal. It is U.S.-based, so Canadian sources should be used for legal and reporting guidance.
    Listen to One in Ten

  • Kids Are the Experts: Youth Perspectives on Healing After Abuse — One in Ten Podcast
    A particularly valuable episode exploring what children and young people themselves identify as important to healing and support following abuse.
    Listen to the episode
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This information reflects current trauma-informed guidance from the Ontario child advocacy centres, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, BOOST Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, the Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies, the Canadian Paediatric Society, and peer-reviewed research on child development and recovery following childhood sexual abuse.

For a complete list of sources, websites, organizations and publications referenced in The Resource Project, please go to our section on References.