social creations subject to redefine by the society or culture

Childhood is what adults believe to have beginnings and ends. It also varies with culture, race and ethnicity

An international treaty that recognizes the human rights of children. It explains how adults and government must work together to make sure children have all rights

sign means not legally binding or obligatory but state considers ratification ratify leaglly bound by international law, also committed to integratre principles into policies and law

participation, protection, provision

Article 2: protection from all forms of discrimination Article 3: best interest of the child Article 6: Right to life Article 12: right to express all matters affecting the child

Hard law can be brought to court like Durhan CAS Soft law cannot be brought to court like UNCRC

lack of knowledge, no follow up, too open to interpretation, beased on western concepts of childhood

no concrete definition

critical thinking, confidence, slef esteem, team work, problem solving

lack of knowledge of Article 12, power imbalances, negative concept of childhood, too much work

accountability, child and youth friendly, relevant to the issues, voluntary, respectful and transparents

Space, voice, audience and influence

youth understand COVID and require meaningful spaces and partnerships to enable them to take action to reduce the spread of the virus. desire to use their voices to spread awarenessuse social networks to spread awerness on the virus

used to promote best interest, protection, and well-being of children

Prior to the 18th century - child protection a parental responsibility.• Neglect and/or harm of children seen as morally wrong, but parents had the final say.• Courts and government rarely involved.

parentaldecision-making authority.

- agencies will intervene, and they will take responsibility for the care of children in need ofprotection.

Dually involved in the child welfare and youth justice system

Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA)• April 2018• Replaced the Child and Family Services Act

Promote the best interests, protection, and well-being of children.

Preservation of the family:Choosing the'least disruptive course of action:

Support autonomy and integrity

Consider the child's existing environment

Raises the age of protection from 16 to 18 - Increases protection services for youth in unsafe conditions, to support their education, and reduce homelessness and human trafficking. Inclusive and culturally appropriate services, to ensure every child receives the best possible support Greater focus on early intervention to help prevent crisis situations. Improving accountability and oversight for service providers, so that children and youth receivesafe, consistent, and high-quality services across the province.

Focus on rights (Preamble - next slide)• Focus on child-centred practice• Strengthens the voice of children and youth• Attempts to addresses systemic racism

Government of Ontario acknowledges that.....• children are individuals with rights to be respected and voices to be heard• the aim of the CYFSA is to be consistent with and build upon the principles expressed in theUNCRC

Ensure the views of the child are a requirement for all official decision-making processes that relate to children

Preservation of identity for all children... ensure that Indigenous children in the child welfare system are able to preserve their identity

Seriously concerned that the child welfare system continues to fail to protect Indigenous children and adolescents from violence. No national comprehensive strategy to prevent violence against all children.

Eight pillars - areas where youth in care require support to successfully transition to adulthood Accountability for government and service providersCreated by youth with lived experience in the system —foster homes and group homes.

financial, educational & Professional Development, housing , relationships , culture & spirituality , health & wellbeing , advocacy & rights , emerging adulthood develpoment

Financial resources to meet needs. Financial starting point that is above the povertyline, and allows youth to pursue their career interests and dreams

A place to call home, without strict rules and conditions

A place to call home, without strict rules and conditions

People to count on. Feeling heard and a sense of belonging

Meaningful connection to culture and spirituality

timely ongoing services and benefits. Supports are trauma-informed,non-judgemental, based in harm reduction, no significant wait times.

Rights respected and voices heard

Environments that cultivate personal growth anddevelopment as youth transition into adulthood

We work in cooperation with community partners to help families keep children and youth safe.• funded by the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to provide a range of child protection services.• services are mandated under the Child, Youth and Family Services Act to protect children under 18 from abuse and neglect.

Families receive the support and resources needed to thrive in their cultures and communities.

Durham Children's Aid Society works collaboratively with families, community members and service providers to overcome barriers to safe and healthy development of children and youth.

Outlines how CAS delivers its mandate.Provides the definitions of abuse and neglect​.Promotes best interests, protection and well being of children​.Defines and provides the regulations regarding everyone's Duty to Report.Amendments to the CYFSA to strengthen Ontario's response to child sex trafficking.

Investigate .Provide guidanceProvide careSupervise Place Perform

We investigate referrals involving children and youth up to age 18 (we work with youth up to age 21 if the child/youth is brought into care prior to age 18)Currently, there are approximately 290 children in care, and there are approximately 1400 open cases.

Harm, dangerous statements, complicating factors, existing strengths , existing safety, safety goals and next steps

Prenatal Support ProgramFamily Support TeamSigns of Safety/Family ConnectionsFamily Access ProgramYouth Independence ServicesEducational LiaisonVolunteer ServicesAfrican Canadian Services TeamCARE team

We are currently working with Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services which was officially designated as a new Indigenous child wellbeing agency in February 2019.

Address institutional power and systemic oppression within child welfare.Includes the goal to prevent and address concerns surrounding the overrepresentation of racialized and Indigenous communities in child welfare​.Ensuring our staff, board and caregivers are representative of our diverse community​.Embedding new approaches in our policies, services and practices​.Working with families in ways that are more respectful of their diverseneeds and more responsive to their particular circumstances​.Enhancing our approach to be more customized in all aspects of service​.Expanding our outreach and building relationships with new community partners.

Joint venture between Durham CAS, Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag, Durham Regional Police​.They will work together to identify and locate youth who are involved in human trafficking and connect them to services.3-year funding model.

How will we service black families differently?Address overrepresentation of black families withinDurham CAS.Connect the family with appropriate cultural services.Develop a cultural plan for youth.Improve the experience for black families who become involved with Durham CAS​.Address and challenge mandated referrers

Voluntary Service - Service Contract, service letterSupervision Order - with parent or kinInterim Society CareExtended Society Care (child will be legally available for adoption)VYSA - Voluntary Youth Service Agreement

Anyone who has reasonable grounds to suspect a child is in need of help is ​ required to report the concern.​

if a person, including a person who performs professional or official duties with respect to children, has reasonable grounds to suspect any one of the risks outlined in Section 74(2), the person shall immediately report the suspicion and information on which it is based to a Society.

Anyone can call with a concern about a child at risk​.Call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week​.Calls received outside of business hours are referred to our after hours service​.When you call you will speak to a member of our Immediate Response Team​.Explain your concern, including if you know if the family has existing supports who can help​.Provide as much information as possible

1. The referral is taken by DCAS2. Specialize focus on assessing severity reports according to provincial standards and tools3. Information gathered from collar including all concerns family strengths support networks4. Sirius provincial record check as per standards

The Ontario Child Welfare Eligibility Spectrum matrix applied along with all known information to determine most appropriate response.No direct contact/information only.Community link service.Non protection opening for prenatal service provisionChild protection investigation.Determination of response time dependent on level ofurgency of child safety - 12 hours or 7 days for families, 12 or 48 hours for institutions.

exemplar in child and youth participation'

concluing feedback report

Within the documentary, you can see the notion of participation from the advocates' office from all these black youths coming together letting their voice hear of what they faced in the care system from familys not understanding what black youth need. It also brings out the important of what black youth need to help support them from hair care , expecting culture and allowing them to be supported for themselves and not having who they are being stripped from who they are

Led by Officers of respective Legislatures • Governing, guiding legislation with a mixture of mandates • Some powers of investigation • Children's Rights based with emphasis on child participation • Children under 18 years of age

British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island

Ontario, Nova Scotia

Quebec

2008-2019 • Office instructed to "strive to be an exemplar in child and youth participation" • Mandated to "provide advocacy services to children and youth seeking or receiving services under the Child Youth and Family Services Act" • Instructed to pay particular attention to the provision of advocacy services to "First Nation children and children living with disabilities" • A powerful combination of individual, systemic, community development and investigation advocacy functions

child welfare.

seek only administrative fairness and refrain from advocacy

Participants agreed that Independent Officers of the Legislature are essential for the work of Advocates, providing a sense of authority and power while protecting them from political tensions. It was noted that autonomy is needed at both the provincial/territorial and federal level to further advance and resolve issues faced by Advocates.

Mr. Bernstein highlighted the importance of using the media as an advocacy tool to shape public views and demand accountability from public resources in order to create opportunities for children.

Participants agreed that inadequate time was a barrier to their work due to the expanding volume of issues, and this was compounded by limited appointment terms. Even if frameworks or plans were developed, the length of time taken to implement them was excessive. The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights noted the complexity of coordinating 13 jurisdictions and the slow federal-provincial-territorial cooperation.

Advocates face the challenge of navigating political structures and considerations of those in power in order to effectively advocate for young people. They must be strategic and have allies, and must be aware of how public opinion can influence their ability to have a voice. Officials, legislators, and decision-makers can benefit from working with Advocates to promote awareness and apply the UNCRC to issues most affecting young people.

Irwin Elman, Ontario's Advocate, has authority to investigate Children's Aid Societies, but the legislation falls short in protecting Canada's most vulnerable children and youth. Elman suggests granting the provincial advocate more powers to better protect and hold institutions accountable, while other Council members face similar struggles due to limited mandates. Findings suggest broader-based legislative and policy mandates would be advantageous and allow greater freedom for Council members, as well as more opportunities for young people to be heard.

Marta Maurás, a former vicepresident of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, concluded that Canada's failure to pass Bill C-420 had negatively affected the current state of children's rights, and suggested eliminating fees for early childhood care and pre-school education, and passing legislation to ban corporal punishment as steps to improve the situation. Her observations raise the question of why Canada would implement a treaty for children without informing them, and the need for the federal government to appoint a Children's Commissioner.

The CYFSA defines a child in need of protection and clearly specifies how you can identify these children in Section 125 (1). (See pages 8 to 11). [CYFSA s.125 (1)] This includes a child who is or may be suffering from abuse or neglect.

Anyone who has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is, or may be, in need of protection must promptly report the suspicion and the information upon which it is based to a society

It is not necessary for you to be certain a child is, or may be, in need of protection to make a report to a society. "Reasonable grounds" refers to the information that an average person, using normal and honest judgment, would need in order to decide to report

The duty to report applies to any child who is, or appears to be, under the age of 16 years. On January 1, 2018, Ontario raised the age of protection from 16 to 18. A professional, or member of the public, who is concerned that a 16-or 17- year-old is, or may be, in need of protection may, but is not required to, make a report to a society and the society is required to assess the reported information

Even if you know a report has already been made about a child who is under 16, you must make a further report to the society if there are additional reasonable grounds to suspect that the child is, or may be, in need of protection.

No. You must report directly to a society. You must not rely on anyone else to report on your behalf.

Professionals and officials have the same duty as the rest of the public to report their suspicion that a child is, or may be, in need of protection. However, the CYFSA recognizes that people working closely with children have a special awareness of the signs of child abuse and neglect, and a particular responsibility to report their suspicions

$5000

health care professionals, including physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and psychologists •teachers and school principals •social workers and family counsellors •religious officials •operators or employees of a child care centre or home child care agency •youth and recreation workers (not volunteers) •peace officers and coroners •child and youth service providers and employees of these service providers •any other person who performs professional or official duties with respect to a child

A professional must report that a child is, or may be, in need of protection, even when the information is otherwise confidential or privileged. This duty overrides any other provincial statutes, including the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004, and specifically overrides any provisions that would otherwise prohibit someone from making a disclosure. Only lawyers may not divulge "privileged" information about

The CYFSA provides that no action for making the report will be instituted against a person who makes a report unless the person acts maliciously or without reasonable grounds for the suspicion.

The society will investigate the information. The society has the responsibility and authority to investigate allegations and to protect children. The society may involve the police and other community agencies. All societies provide emergency service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Consistent with the best interests, protection and well-being of children, services from a society will take the following into consideration:

You can find your local society in your local telephone listings or, where available, by dialing 411. In some communities, the society is known as "family and children's services" or "child and family services".

Research confirms that young people who are forced to leave the child welfare system at the age of a majority face major intersecting challenges: these include higher risks of experiencing homelessness, poverty, unemployment, mental health and addictions issues and involvement in the criminal justice system.

of homeless youth in Canada report involvement with the child welfare system in general at some point in their lives