August 2014

In This Issue

Connecting Aboriginal youth in care with their identities and heritage

The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, in partnership with Curve Lake First Nation held its 2nd Annual Aboriginal Youth in Care Gathering on July 8-10th, 2014 at Bark Lake Leadership Centre.

This year the Gathering focused on providing youth with both an experiential way to connect with their culture as well as a range of recreational activities. Youth had the opportunity to take part in a traditional pipe ceremony, sweat lodge ceremony, traditional dancing/drumming, Inuit games and much more.

The Gathering has given youth a chance to connect with their identities and heritage as First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living in contemporary Canada. Positive feedback from this event inspires OACAS to continue with this annual Gathering and to help foster a healthy community amongst Aboriginal children and youth in care.

Together to live / Vivons, ensemble

The Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health, in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders from across the province, recently launched Together to live/Vivons, ensemble as part of the Ontario government’s youth suicide prevention plan.

This web-based toolkit is designed to support service providers who work with children and youth in mobilizing their communities to respond to youth suicide. Recognizing that each community may be at different stages in the community mobilization process, it includes information on prevention, risk-management and postvention. You’ll also find tools to help start and sustain community mobilization efforts as well as an interactive map on initiatives taking place across the province. Click here to view the site in English and in French.

French Language Services Commissioner Releases Annual Report

The Office of the French Language Services Commissioner has released its 2013-2014 annual report, Rooting for Francophones.  The Commissioner provides four main recommendations including calling for a legislative committee on French language services, development of a detailed annual report of the Office of Francophone Affairs, establishing an experts group on Francophone immigration and implementing a pilot project aimed at improving access to justice in French in Ontario.

The Commissioner speaks highly of the relationship he has had with Children’s Aid Societies (CASs) and of their efforts to improve French-language services. He has a responsibility to pay special attention to the experiences of the most vulnerable Francophones in Ontario, including those involved with CASs.  He points out that CASs are still far from integration of “active offer” in the delivery of services across the province and speaks to fundamental issues in the delivery of French-language services in this sector. The Commissioner will monitor issues raised about the provision of French language services in child welfare in the years to come.

In February, 2013, OACAS and the CAS French Language Services Advisory Committee hosted the first French Language Summit, to promote knowledge and develop strategies on delivering French language services in the child welfare sector in Ontario. The committee is now working on the “active offer” process, which will culminate this October with the release of a publication entitled, Guide for Moving Forward on French Language Services in Ontario’s Child Welfare Sector. Additionally, this committee is developing a strategic framework and action plan that will be shared with the CASs.

Click here to read the full report. Click here to read the news release. Click here to read the Minister’s statement.

Nominate a Family or Professional Caregiver for the Canada Cares Caregiver Awards

Do you know a family, friend, nurse or PSW who deserves recognition for their caregiving activities? Canada Cares is asking you to nominate a caregiver for the Caregiver Awards. Canada Cares supports and celebrates caregivers of all kinds across the country.  The Awards will be presented at both a regional and national level, recognizing 10 exceptional unpaid and professional caregivers and selecting one from each category to be the Canada Cares National Caregivers of the Year. In addition, one outstanding caregiver will win $10,000 to make a wish come true!  This year, for the first time, we are also recognizing a Caring Community and Caregiver Friendly Workplace. Help us to ensure caregivers in your community and their supporters are appreciated in this way! Nominations will be accepted until September 15, 2014 at www.canadacares.org.

Maximum annual Ontario Child Benefit increased by $100 in July

The 2014 Ontario Budget included an increase to the maximum annual Ontario Child Benefit (OCB) to $1,310 per child, a change which benefits half‐a‐million families. OCB is now indexed to inflation, beginning July, 2014.

Families with an annual net income of $20,000 or less receive the full OCB for each child under the age of 18. Families earning more may be eligible for partial benefits based on their income and the number of children they have under the age of 18.

This allowance is also provided to children and youth in care, through their local Children’s Aid Society.

For more information, read the news release here.

Calling on the community: Join Team HOPE and help support child abuse prevention!

http://www.oacas.org/pubs/oacas/thevoice/2014/may/childrens_aid_foundation.pngOn Sunday, October 19, join Team HOPE and walk or run 5Km, the half or full marathon in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon! In 2013, 94 staff from eight different Children’s Aid Societies laced up their sneakers to support a cause near and dear to our hearts.

“The Scotiabank Marathon is a wonderful event in which community members come together and support a great cause – child abuse prevention,” said Janice Robinson, executive director of the Children’s Aid Society of Haldimand and Norfolk.

Anyone can join Team HOPE – Children’s Aid Society staff, corporate groups and interested community members! All funds raised by agency staff will be granted directly back to their respective agencies by the Children's Aid Foundation. For more information and to join Team HOPE, contact Jess Brayne at the Children’s Aid Foundation at jbrayne@cafdn.org.

Queering Camp: A Safe Space for Youth

Rainbow Camp, a residential day camp for Queer and Allied youth ages 13-17, recently completed its third summer, attended by 26 youth.

Rainbow Camp provides an opportunity for youth to discuss gender, sexuality, trans issues, consent, ethnicity, race, class and sexual health, in a safe and supportive environment.  Campers also get to engage in fun, traditional camp programming, including crafts, campfires and hikes. 

Every year, various youth are referred to the camp via Children’s Aid Societies and other social service agencies. For many youth, the camp serves as a safe respite from the everyday circumstances of their lives. 

“I was respected for my identity by authority figures, which doesn’t often occur,” one camper shared. “I got to be myself, and not worry about being judged. I also felt very safe,” said another.

Click here to learn more about Rainbow Camp. For information on registering for  next year, please call 1-888-909-2234.

Pro-bono legal services available for foster families and youth seeking to complete the adoption process

OACAS and Pro Bono Law Ontario have partnered to provide free legal services for foster families and youth seeking to complete the adoption process.

Services include:
  • Legal advice and representation for parents and youth over 18
  • Legal advice for foster parents adopting children under 18
  • Information about the adoptions process
  • Help completing and filing the application for adoption
  • Representation at the adoption hearing

Click here to read the brochure or for more information, contact Aleem Punja, Project Manager, Adoption & Permanency Projects at 416-642-6332.

Upcoming events

Positive Youth Development Training-of-Trainers Workshop, Lions Quest Canada, August 21-22, Kingston, Ontario.

Turning Down the Heat: A Collaborative Approach to Working with High Conflict Families, Hamilton High Conflict Forum, September 4, Hamilton, Ontario.

Fostering…the Future, Foster Parents Society of Ontario Conference, September 11 – 14, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

The Many Faces of Addiction, The 6th Annual Addiction Symposium, October 1-2, Toronto, Ontario.

Culturally Integrative Family Safety Response in Child Welfare – Sharing the Journey of Collaboration, Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support and Integration and the Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex, October 28-29, location to be determined.

Send us your news!

http://www.oacas.org/pubs/oacas/thevoice/2014/apr/news-185.jpgThe Voice has an extensive readership in Ontario and across Canada. Please forward any child welfare related news, events or announcements to webadmin@oacas.org for possible inclusion into our monthly newsletter.