Special Conference Section

Putting Children First: Making A Difference

Putting Children First: Making a Difference was the first conference exclusively dedicated to issues in child welfare to be hosted in the past several years by the Ontario Association of Children‘s Aid Societies (OACAS). The Conference offered a variety of keynote speakers and workshops selected from over 200 submissions.

The Conference focused on three service areas:

- Child Sexual Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth

- Chronic Child Neglect: Community Responses, Innovative Practices and Family Support

- Balancing Strength and Risk in Practice

Workshops centered on clinical practice, leadership and management for front-line staff, management teams, and board members of child-serving organizations.

The opening day focused on anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice in child welfare. Dr. Susan Strega and Dr. Jeannie Carriere set the stage for a First Nation worldview regarding child welfare with their presentation on 'Walking the path together: Anti-Racist and Anti-Oppressive Child Welfare Practice'. This presentation was followed by the 'Celebrating Achievements in Native Child Welfare Traditional Feast' at lunch.

Greetings were read from National Chief Shawn a-in-chut Atleo as the Conference was held on Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations territory. Dr. Lillian McGregor, an elder from Whitefish River First Nation, shared her teachings and offered a prayer for those who carry out the work of child welfare. The Traditional Feast finished with a keynote presentation by Wendy Hill, a Traditional Healer from Anishnawbe Health Toronto, titled 'Understanding life: What my ancestors taught me in my dreams'.

Participant feedback highlighted four outstanding presentations:

'Annual Paediatric Death Review Report' by Dr. Bert Lauwers, Deputy Chief Corner of Ontario and Chair of both Deaths Under Five Committee and Paediatric Death Review Committee, and Karen Bridgman-Acker, Child Welfare Specialist and Paediatric Death Review Coordinator - CAS.

'Child Exploitation - Making the Connection between the Online World and Child Sexual Abuse' by Christy Dzikowicz, Director of Missing Children‘s Services at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection.

'Child Welfare in India: Lessons for Child Welfare Practitioners in Canada' by Mary Ballantyne, Executive Director of the Children‘s Aid Society of Simcoe County.

'The Impact of Homicide on Siblings and Family Members' by Priscilla de Villiers, Founder of CAVEAT (Canadians Against Violence Everywhere Advocating for its Termination) and the de Villiers Petition.

Dr. Lauwers and Ms. Bridgman-Acker presented recommendations focusing on promoting best practices within the child welfare and medical systems and educating the public on child safety measures to help reduce child deaths. The presentation by Ms.Dzikowicz highlighted the growing concern of the child welfare field on the connections between child abuse and online activity. Ms. Ballantyne‘s presentation focused on child welfare practices in two non-governmental organizations in India, where services are offered to children living in slums and to families and children in rural villages. She suggested that the services offered in developing nations have much relevance to and should be more connected with child welfare work in North America. Ms. De Villiers‘ presentation called for change to the role of victims of crime in restorative justice in Ontario and the entrenchment of victims‘ rights.

In addition to keynote speakers and workshops, the Conference also included the OACAS Annual Awards Dinner and 21st Clark Bursary Awards, which took place on the Monday evening. The Awards dinner was hosted by Orlena Cain, radio and TV personality, former youth in care, and one of the people who participated in the "I am Your Children‘s Aid" campaign. The evening was about celebrating the successes of young people who have excelled in their academic, athletic, and artistic pursuits despite the challenges they have endured. Clark Bursary Awards were presented to 20 deserving young people pursuing opportunities in post-secondary education. The evening also recognized community leaders who have demonstrated their commitment to the well-being of children and youth in their work and with their lives. Bonnie Buxton and Brian Philcox, co-founders of FASWorld (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum) Canada and FASWorld Toronto, were presented with the award for Outstanding Leadership in child welfare and Tanya Talaga, Toronto Star journalist, received the Award of Distinction for Contributions to child welfare for her articles and support of Ontario‘s Aboriginal children and youth. Ron and Nancy Clark were recognized and thanked for their incredible support of our youth through their bursary program.

The third day of the Conference concluded with a closing ceremony featuring people from the "I am your Children‘s Aid" campaign talking about their stories and their relationships with their local Children‘s Aid Societies (CAS). OACAS ended the Conference with a reflection and celebration of agency successes. Front-line staff and senior management had an opportunity to hear about the positive results that come out of the work they do directly from those whose lives had been improved. Candy, a former youth in care, Reena, a mom who got help from her local CAS, and Nandita, a child and youth worker, reinforced the message that "Children‘s Aid" means so much to many people in many different ways. Member feedback noted how important it is to take the time to remember the reason that child welfare professionals do this work and how important their contributions are to society. At the end of the Conference, participants left inspired by what they‘d learned from the keynote speakers and workshops, interacting with their peers, and also from hearing first-hand the difference they have helped to make. Candy, Reena, and Nandita were tangible examples of theory put into practice with their incredible stories.

Visit http://www.oacas.org/conference/ to view the Conference program and read more about the conference.

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