PEI Kids' Support Services department interacts with children in foster care and their family members throughout the year to provide supportive services, such as supervised visits and transportation. These services enable children and families to obtain medical and therapeutic services and meet family, legal, and other obligations. Consistent with our mission to promote and maintain a safe environment for all children, our Support Services program staff received training in June to become First Aid CPR/AED Certified. All of our Support Services program and supervisory staff received the 8-hour American Heart Association, Heartsaver First Aid CPR/AED training, and successfully learned the principles and mastered techniques to handle an emergency medical situation. Training was made available thanks to our friends at Anchor House Inc. and the expert instruction of their Director of Outreach Services, Ben Thornton, who is an AHA-BLS certified trainer. 

The First Aid CPR/AED curriculum included specialized training for working with infants and children. This training is consistent with PEI Kids' priority to provide services in a manner which maintains the safety of the children we serve, even under unforeseen circumstances. Director of Support Services Terry McMonagle says, "I am so happy my staff had an opportunity to receive this training. It gives them confidence to handle the situation in case of an emergency." Trainer Ben Thornton explained, "Safety is always an intentional act. Congratulations to every trainee; you now have the skills and knowledge to save a life."