On October 1-3, 2017, OACAS hosted a gathering called “A Moment on the Path” at Geneva Park and Rama First Nation to acknowledge and apologize for the harmful role child welfare has played historically, and continues to play, in the lives of Ontario Indigenous children, families, and
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What insights can an Indigenous perspective contribute to our annual Child Abuse Prevention Month campaign? The word child abuse implies that there is a wicked mother step-mother behind it. I wish it were that simple. What is really behind child abuse is a number of factors that
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On October 24, 2017, OACAS, Children’s Aid Societies (CASs), and key partners marked Child Abuse Prevention Month with a provincial DRESS PURPLE DAY to raise awareness about how it takes a village to keep kids safe. Click on the campaign Twitter hashtags #IBREAKtheSilence and #SpeakUp4Kids to see
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And how they are shaping the sector’s priorities with Indigenous communities going forward 1. Every Children’s Aid Society has committed to tangible Reconciliation actions. On June 6, 2017, the Ontario child welfare sector unanimously agreed to prioritize Reconciliation with Indigenous communities through nine key commitments.
Read more →The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies’ acknowledgment and apology for the harmful role child welfare has played historically, and continues to play, in the lives of Ontario Indigenous children, families, and communities is an important point on the sector’s path to Reconciliation. However, the Reconciliation pathway
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An apology, an acknowledgement, and a conversation to move forward On October 1-3, 2017, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) will host a gathering at Geneva Park and Rama First Nation to acknowledge and apologize for the harmful role child welfare has played historically, and
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Introduction While I have been on the Board of OACAS for 10 years it seems such a brief time compared to the history of Child Welfare in Canada. One of the most disturbing lessons I’ve learned is that the road to hell is truly paved with good
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New curriculum increases focus on equity, human rights, anti-racism, and Indigenous content In January 2017, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) launched a revamped set of curriculum for Ontario’s child protection workers. The Child Welfare Pathway to Authorization Series is designed to be more responsive and
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Kerry Francis, Executive Director of Nogdawindamin Family and Community Services, sat down with us recently to talk about his organization’s designation, the journey it took to get here, and what it means to him and to the First Nations communities of the North Shore. On April 1st,
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Through the implementation of a provincial performance measurement and management system, Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies have taken an important step to enhance their accountability and commitment to achieve better outcomes for the children, youth and families they serve. The three core areas of child welfare work are
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