On October 24 Children’s Aid Societies across Ontario will launch the annual Ontario Dress Purple Day campaign, to raise awareness about the important role that adults and communities play in supporting children and youth, especially those who are facing challenges. This year as many as fifty boards
Read more →The government’s Provincial Child Welfare, Adoption and Residential Services Survey launched August 30, 2019. Government is seeking input from those involved with child welfare and residential services, including: youth/former youth, parents, family members, caregivers, workers. The survey closes October 11, 2019. Take the survey. If you know
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Your position as Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a new one at OACAS. What is the significance of this position for child welfare? Ninety percent of the children and youth that Children’s Aid Societies support come from marginalized experiences. Over the last fifteen years many
Read more →Today, at Jewish Family and Child, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues Jill Dunlop, announced the government’s intentions to begin an engagement process aimed at informing their plans to modernize Ontario’s child welfare, adoption, and residential services system. Nicole Bonnie, CEO of OACAS, was in attendance
Read more →On Tuesday, April 30, the Ontario Child Advocate’s office released its final investigative reports before closing its office permanently. Most of the Child Advocate’s investigative powers have now been transferred to the Ontario Ombudsman. On behalf of its member Children’s Aid Societies, OACAS wishes to express gratitude
Read more →The 2019 Ontario budget was announced today and contained both encouraging investments as well as reason for concern for vulnerable children, youth, and families. The government announced there will be investments of $174 million in 2019–20, focused on supporting community mental health and addictions services, mental health
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“What’s even worse than our white guilt is our shame” is the feedback I heard from white child welfare workers after I published my article “White Guilt: How to move into responsibility for white child welfare workers.” As child welfare workers, making mistakes in our practice can
Read more →This week there have been several reports in the media regarding statements made by a lawyer who formerly represented Kenora-Rainy River Districts Child and Family Services. The statements made in an affidavit suggested that a former youth-in-care should be considered “sexually mature” and not a child at
Read more →Jordan’s Story “Jordan River Anderson was a First Nations child from Norway Cree House Nation in Manitoba. Born in 1999 with complex medical needs that could not be treated on-reserve, he spent more than two years in a hospital in Winnipeg before doctors agreed that he could
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The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) is pleased to announce Nicole Bonnie has started in her role as Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Bonnie is the first Black CEO in the history of OACAS and in the field of Ontario child welfare and brings with her
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