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May 2009 |
In This Issue
The May edition of The Voice, OACAS’ electronic newsletter, features articles on:
- Children need access to mental health services
- All children need loving families: Adoption is an option for older children too!
- Register now! Building Bridges to Belonging Symposium
- YouthCAN Conference: "SUCCESS! Play Life to Win"
- Positive Parenting: Talking to your children and teens
- Writers wanted for the June 2009 Journal
To view this email as a web page, click here. |
 Symposium: Building Bridges to Belonging
OACAS presents an all day forum on new directions for permanency planning for youth on June 3, 2009 from 9am to 4pm at the Doubletree by Hilton, 655 Dixon Road, Toronto. The forum features speakers and presentations on the range of possibilities for youth to belong: foster care to age 21, adoption of older youth, other options for permanent families and illustrations of practice in these areas from Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies and other experts. Internationally recognized keynote speakers include:
Registration is open to practitioners, professionals and service providers interested or involved in services for youth.
Click here to read more. |
Volunteers working with children and youth in care
Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies recognize those community members, parents and retirees who give of their time and share their lives with vulnerable children and youth. As Ontario celebrates Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 20-24, the more than 5,000 volunteers at local Children’s Aid Societies are recognized for their contributions. In one year, volunteers at Ontario’s CASs:
- donated 735,506 volunteer hours and
- drove 26,909,960 kilometers.
Click here to read more.
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 YouthCAN Conference: "SUCCESS! Play Life to Win"
Since 2006, Ontario youth in care have had two memorable OACAS YouthCAN conferences. The first conference, “Setting up for Survival SUCCESS!”, was held at Sheridan College and the second, “Ready, Set, SUCCESS!”, was held at Seneca College. Read the Report to the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities: READY, SET, SUCCESS!
YouthCAN facilitated fun and interactive sessions and workshop topics focusing on skills and social development, networking, financial planning and stress management. Planning for the 2009 YouthCAN conference, “SUCCESS! Play Life to Win”, is well underway. Interested speakers or presenters are invited to submit the form outlining their proposed presentation or workshop to YouthCAN to info@oacas.org. Stay tuned for more details!
Click here to read more. |
 Internet Safety: Do you know what your kids are doing online?
The Internet is an incredible tool, but it is fraught with risk, especially when it comes to our children. According to an Ipso-Reid study, Inter@ctive Teens: The Impact of the Internet on Canada’s Next Generation, Canadian teens spend an average of 13 hours a week online. Parents may set guidelines and boundaries to keep their kids safe, but do we really know exactly what our kids are doing online and who they’re talking to? The Kids' Internet Safety Alliance (KINSA) has created a series of videos to educate parents on the steps they can take to keep kids safe. The videos help parents and caregivers understand the most common sites kids access on the Internet and some of the dangers children may encounter when networking online. Click here to view videos.
Here are some tips for parents and guardians to safeguard their children on the internet:
- Become familiar with the Internet sites teens use
- Use anti-virus and filtering software
- Review sites your teen visits
- Reinforce the public nature of the Internet
- Monitor webcam use
Click here to read more. |
 Positive Parenting: Alternatives to physical discipline
Most children will learn how to behave well if the environment in which they grow up is nurturing and caring. A happy relationship between a parent and a child is the most important foundation on which to build acceptable behaviour.
Children are more likely to grow up behaving well if they are:
- loved, valued and told how important they are
- shown how to behave well because the adults around them behave well
- not expected to behave in ways which are beyond their developmental capacities
- given clear rules and parents are consistent about them
- supervised well and kept occupied with appropriate activities
- provided with predictable and sensible routines
- having their physical and emotional needs well attended to
Good disciplinary practices include:
- positive reinforcement
- praise
- modelling
- structure and routine
- setting and maintaining limits
- realistic expectations and follow through
- verbal and non-verbal cues
- time outs
- logical consequences
- problem-solving
Click here to read more. |
Writers wanted for the Spring 2009 Journal
 Academics, researchers and practitioners are invited to submit articles on programs, projects and initiatives designed to improve the lives of youth in care and Crown wards for the Spring edition. Deadline for submissions is April 15, 2009.
The Journal – print and electronic – is distributed to 3,300 readers including child welfare practitioners, researchers, foster parents, volunteers, government representatives, community partners and the media. OACAS also welcomes executive summaries, excerpts and abstracts from researchers and academics. Visit www.oacas.org for information about submission guidelines.
Deadline for submissions for the Summer edition is June 15, 2009.
Click here to read more. |
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