The London Block Parent program, a Canadian first, is shutting down after almost 50 years of helping kids get home safely.

The program lost its funding this year when the city launched a new competitive process intended to take the politics out of deciding which groups receive grants.

Participation in Block Parents also has dropped significantly since peak interest a few decades ago.

“We are officially closing our programs, but we are trying to tie up all the loose ends by the end of the year,” George Stephens, chairperson of London Block Parents, said Monday. “It was a very painful decision, yes. It was not taken lightly.”

Known by the iconic red-and-white signs in the windows of approved safe houses, Block Parents was once the go-to organization for kids needing adult help for any reason.

It was formed in 1968 after a series of crimes against children in London, including the murder of nine-year-old Frankie Jensen, who disappeared on his way to school that year. Out of the London experience — supported by the Council of Jewish Women, London police, school boards and home and school associations — a national organization sprung up, including every province and territory.

But in London, the need has changed: At one time, more than 6,000 homes had a red-and-white sign in their windows. Now, just 360 homes are part of the program, Stephens said, citing factors including fewer people home during the day, volunteers reluctant to get vulnerable-sector screening, more kids with cellphones and fewer walking to their destination.



Original Block Parent sign

Programs evolved to include Walking School Buses — a sort of carpooling for pedestrians — and more safety education.

“In the last decade, the need for our programs has decreased and the relevance of our services has shifted. We have developed new programs, implemented new ideas, but the needs of our children, their families, and our community have changed,” Stephens said.

He said safety principles remain the same: children should continue to be aware of their surroundings and always let someone know where they are going and when they expect to get there.

Last year, the City of London was sole funder for the group, at a cost of about $80,000.

This year, the city adopted a new multi-year process in which each not-for-profit community group seeking funding would start on an equal footing and present its best case for cash in front of an 11-member review panel.

All told, 67 applicants asked for $20 million over the three-year span, said Cheryl Smith, city manager of community partnerships and funding.

Of those, 37 organizations will get $6.9 million over three years. There’s an appeal process, but London Block Parents didn’t file one. Council has signed off on the grants.

“There are a lot of good programs in London, but the tax dollars only go so far,” said Coun. Virginia Ridley, who chairs council’s community and protective services committee.

“I can understand that there’s some concern. The loss of this is certainly going to be difficult for the families that rely on it.”

Stephens gave credit to the thousands of volunteers who have been Block Parents over the years.

Parents who still have signs in their windows should remove and destroy the signs, he said.

dvanbrenk@postmedia.com

with files from Free Press reporter Patrick Maloney