Latest News
Check out this Bursary Available for Former Youth in Care!
Storwell Provides an Annual $2,000 Bursary for Former Foster Children and Youth in Care Seeking Post-Secondary Education
In an attempt to assist foster children and youth in care who struggle to afford post-secondary studies, Storwell has developed the Storwell Foster Children Bursary Program. There are over 63,000 children and youth living in permanent care with foster families, group homes, or in kinship care across Canada, with Indigenous children representing over 50% of all children in foster care. These children often experience difficulties gaining access to adequate education opportunities, especially when it comes to post-secondary education. For every one thousand youths in Canadian foster care, only eight go on to graduate with a post-secondary education.
One of the largest barriers to entry for children in foster care is the financial burden that comes along with post-secondary education. The objective of the Storwell Foster Children Bursary Program is to provide foster children and youth in care with resources and opportunities that might be otherwise unavailable to them. With the proper support, these students can work towards building a better life for themselves through the pursuit of higher education.
Storwell Self Storage is a premium self-storage company with locations across the GTA. Along with providing accessible and affordable storage units in Toronto, Scarborough, and Mississauga, Storwell is also devoted to helping out the local community by supporting various social initiatives. Students who fulfill the eligibility criteria are encouraged to apply HERE!
Honouring The 2023 Indigenous Spirit Awards
The Indigenous Spirit Fund at Native Child and Family Services of Toronto is excited to announce that nominations are now open for the Honouring The Indigenous Spirit Awards! Established to honour Indigenous children and youth who’ve shown resilience and spirit in their efforts to break down barriers and achieve their full potential, this year’s Awards Ceremony will take place on March 30, 2023.
Any child, youth, or young adult up to 29 years of age currently receiving any service from an Indigenous agency in the Greater Toronto Area is eligible for nomination. They must be nominated by a staff member of the agency.
Deadline for Nomination: February 14, 2023
For more information, click HERE or email [email protected]
Miigwetch RATE-MY-AGENT & Snap Up Real Estate for your donation
We greatly appreciate RATE-MY-AGENT and Snap Up Real Estate’s donation to our Native Youth Resource Centre (NYRC) Drop-in program located in Toronto’s west end. This program engages Indigenous youth who come to access services at the NYRC and this donation will contribute towards the underfunded Youth Drop-In and Outreach program activities which focusses on providing Indigenous youth with the skills, mentorship, and training they need to find and maintain housing and achieve their full potential.
Thank you Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund!
We extend our deepest gratitude for your support of our “After Hours Mental Health and Crisis Support Telephone Service” at Native Child and Family Services of Toronto. Your funding has played a pivotal role in developing a vital service, allowing us to respond promptly to urgent community needs, especially during the challenging times of the pandemic.
Operating on weekdays from 5 pm to 12 am and on weekends/holidays from 9 am to 12 am, this telephone service provides immediate access to culture-based, trauma-informed mental health and crisis supports. Using the Medicine Wheel Model of service delivery, we address the spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental aspects of individuals in relation to self, family, and community.
Our dedicated staff, work diligently to de-escalate crisis situations and offer brief mental health services. Beyond crisis intervention, the service provides immediate referrals to our extensive range of in-house social services. These services encompass traditional Indigenous healing, housing support, diverse mental health and addictions services, family/domestic/intimate partner violence support programs, and anti-human trafficking programs.
We want to acknowledge and appreciate the transformative impact your support has had on the well-being of our community, allowing us to continue to provide Child Centered, Family Focused, and Community Driven services.
Miigwech | Kinanâskomitin | Thank You,
Media inquiries:
Freida Gladue (she/her)
Manager of Communications
Cell: 437-244-2816
National Day for Truth & Reconciliation: Calls to Action Webinar – Recording
On Friday, September 30th, 2022 Native Child and Family Services of Toronto hosted a webinar and simultaneously released an annual report back to community addressing the priorities for redesigning child welfare to help reduce the number of Indigenous children in care. Listen to our recorded webinar as our special guests join in a conversation around the importance of the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation and the Truth and Reconciliation’s Calls to Action.
Joined by our host Bob Goulais, Knowledge Carrier, Alita Suave, Singer and Language Instructor, Rollin Baldhead and the following special guests:
- Hon. Chystia Freeland, Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of Canada
- Hon. Merrilee Fullerton. Ontario’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
- John Tory, Mayor of Toronto
- Mae Maracle, NCFST Board President
- Jama Maxie, Former Youth in Care
- Jeffrey Schiffer, NCFST Executive Director
- Ron Hodson, NCFST Director of People and Culture
- Melissa Hamonic, Associate Director of Holistic Services
- Jennifer Turner, NCFST Manager of Child and Family Wellbeing
Download the Indigenous Child Welfare Reform Annual Report to Community
* Our apologies, the audio fades in and out through parts of the webinar.*