When I first started working in child welfare it wasn’t uncommon to hear members of the sector say that “they don’t see colour,” or that they treat all families “the same,” despite the grave disparities pointing to the contrary. All these years later, that thought process
Read more →1. Problem: The Child, Youth and Family Services Act grants Children’s Aid Societies substantial power through legislation. Solution: Working from an anti-oppressive lens encourages child welfare professionals to be mindful of this power and to reflect on how this power can be shared with children, youth, and
Read more →The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) and Children’s Aid Societies (CASs) welcome the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s report, Interrupted childhoods: Over-representation of Indigenous and Black children in Ontario child welfare. The report shines a light on the complex and multi-faceted issues that have contributed to
Read more →A significant investment of $2.1 billion over four years to improve access to mental health care and addiction services in yesterday’s budget is good news for many families involved with child welfare in Ontario. Nearly half of families receive services from children’s aid because of adult mental
Read more →A Conversation with OACAS CEO, Mary Ballantyne, and Director of Indigenous Services, Karen Hill The federal minister of Indigenous Services, Jane Philpott, called for an emergency summit to be held last month to address the current situation in Indigenous child welfare, which she has likened the horrors
Read more →This month, the pre-designated Waabnoong Bemjiwang Child Well-Being Agency held an official project launch. As one of four pre-designated Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agencies, Waabnoong Bemjiwang will eventually provide child protection services to seven communities in the Sudbury, Nipissing and Parry Sound areas: Wasauksing, Shawanaga, Magnetawan,
Read more →After months of planning, Phase II of the One Vision One Voice project is officially underway. The goal of Phase II is to work with societies towards achieving child welfare service excellence and eliminate disproportionate and disparate outcomes of African Canadians involved in the child welfare
Read more →By Taïna Mayberry, Youth Programs Coordinator, OACAS Imagine feelings of worthlessness and guilt that sit in your mind like an unwanted house guest. They linger listlessly, taking up space where self-confidence, interests, and social life used to be. You want help. But where to start and who
Read more →As of January 1st, 16 and 17 year-olds in Ontario are finally eligible to receive protection services from Children’s Aid Societies. OACAS and Children Aid Societies have advocated for over two decades for this important change. This new age group will engage with Children’s Aid Societies on
Read more →Dear Colleague, As we enter fully into the new year of 2018, I am extremely pleased to announce the launch of Phase II of the One Vision One Voice program. For decades, the African Canadian community has expressed concern at the overrepresentation and disparate outcomes faced when
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