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“I’m not gonna tell you what gives me hope, I’m going to tell you what I hope comes out of this. I really hope we don’t have to keep having these same conversations that have been going on for more than 60 years, and that we do not have to reform or to reimagine child...

Governments in Canada and the U.S. have a significant role to play in addressing gaps in the current Child Welfare system. Government leaders are urged to consider innovative legislative and regulatory levers to best serve the priority needs of youth in government care. Early Learning Programs for Indigenous Kids get $30M Boost (Surrey Now Leader,...

“The research has shown that the earlier we can intervene, particularly with evidence-based interventions, the better outcomes we see later on. The early years of childhood lay a foundation for future academic, social, emotional, and behavioural success. If we can teach children the skills they need in their formative years, they can carry these skills...

  One in Four (23%) Say Causes Related to Health & Diseases Are Most Personally Important to Them: Three Times Ahead of Children at Risk & Foster Care (IPSOS Reid, 2017) View article Health Trumps All: Canadians Three Times More Likely to State Causes Related to Health as Most Important to Them Compared to Those...

Children in foster care have the odds stacked against them as they transition into adulthood. Lacking the financial and moral support that most Canadian children take for granted, they struggle to cope with the challenges of adult life. As a result, children in foster care are far less likely to graduate from high school than...

The Canadian Council of Child and Youth Advocates (the Council) submits this Special Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (Committee) to highlight the critical circumstances facing Aboriginal children today. The Council is a national alliance of child advocates legally appointed by the Canadian provinces and territories. The Council members' mandates...

A Social impact bond is a contract with the public sector in which a commitment is made to pay for improved social outcomes that result in public sector savings. Building Social Bonds – Impact Investing for Ontario (Deloitte) Impact Investing Exceeds $12 Billion in Asia (Funds Global Asia, August 2018) Majority of Impact Investors Satisfied...

The “quarter-life” crisis is known to be a challenging time for youth navigating the bridge from adolescence into young adulthood. Developmental tasks for this period include youth taking definitive steps towards achieving measures of independence in areas of finance, emotional maturity, employment, housing and education. Embodied in this transition period is the view that it...

Staff members in the child welfare sector are required to promote the safety and health of the foster children they supervise. According to the executive director of the Child Welfare League of Canada, provincial ministries commonly direct these staff to identify and address the particular emotional and behavioural needs of children in care but cannot...

  What is the history of the Children’s Aid Society? The Children's Aid Society (CAS) was established in February of 1853 by group of social reformers—among them was Charles Loring Brace.[1] Brace was selected by the group to become the Secretary of the organization.[2] The founders were motivated by the desire to inform policy and...

  Growing numbers of Canadians are living with their parents into their twenties—51 percent, according to a 2011 article in Maclean’s magazine - yet youth aging out of the care of the child welfare system are expected to make their own way in the world with no support by the time they turn 18. According...

Today, simultaneous events were held in Ottawa at Parliament Hill, Toronto at the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and in Thunder Bay to present Feathers of Hope: A First Nations Youth Action Plan to local, provincial, federal and First Nations leaders. We hope that you will take the time to review our Action Plan to hear what we have to say about...

A league table of inequality in child well-being in the world’s rich countries. View article

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (the CRC Committee) is a group of experts who examine countries to see how well they are protecting the human rights of children. In September 2012, the CRC Committee reviewed Canada to see how well the Government of Canada is protecting the rights of children....

Families are the heart and soul of our society. They help give children – the next generation – the best start and provide support as they move through life. Strong families help build strong communities, a prosperous economy and a more secure future. Ontarians build their families in different ways. Many – including heterosexual couples,...

Children hold a special place in our society. They evoke in us our most basic instincts to nurture and protect. We want them to grow up healthy, happy and safe and emerge from childhood as confident young adults who will, in turn, nurture their own children. Our society takes seriously the need to have systems...

Seven cost-benefit analyses have been undertaken in the United States and Australia to examine the costs to society of providing extra supports to youth in care after the age of 18. The studies reveal vastly different approaches, assumptions, and data sources. Yet all reach the same conclusion: increased investment in services for youth transitioning from...