Dear Colleagues, On April 12, 2018, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) released a report, Interrupted childhoods: Over-representation of Indigenous and Black children in Ontario child welfare. This report investigated the disproportionality and disparities experienced by Indigenous and Black people in child welfare, confirmed and validated the concerns
Read more →Archive for the Accountability Category
What does anti-oppressive practice (AOP) mean in child welfare? The theory of anti-oppression helps examine the use and misuse of power at the individual, organizational, and systems levels so that families can receive child welfare services in an equitable way. It also recognizes that families can
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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
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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
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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
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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,
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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
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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
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