Latest News
Decolonizing Child Welfare Webinar Learning Series #4 – April 22, 2022
Webinar #4 of our Decolonizing Child Welfare Learning Series focuses on our Family Finding program. At NCFST we know that the removal of children can leave a lasting legacy of trauma and the longer a child remains in care, the greater the risk of negative life outcomes. The best way to reduce harm, avoid further trauma and keep children connected to their culture and community is to keep children in the embrace of extended family.
The Family Finding model offers methods and strategies to locate and engage extended family, as well as First Nation, Metis and Inuit communities for children/youth currently living in out-of-care placements. The process identifies relatives and other supportive adults in planning for the permanency of the child and a major component of the program is to facilitate the child’s connection to their community and culture in order to promote a strong sense of cultural identity. Please join us as we share what steps we take to find extended family and community to step in to create a circle of care to support children, youth and families.
This event has passed, please find the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0wMszz6g9Q
Open Requests for Proposals at NCFST
Strategic Planning Services
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) is requesting proposals from consulting firms to facilitate and prepare a strategic plan for the upcoming five years. The strategic plan will define a long-term vision for NCFST with clearly defined priorities for the period of 2022-2027.
Deadline for Submission of Final Proposal: March 2, 2022 2 p.m. (EST)
Download – RFP for Strategic Planning Services
Addendum – RFP for Strategic Planning Services
Decolonizing Child Welfare Webinar Learning Series #3 – Recording
Thank you to everyone who joined us on February 25th for our third webinar in this learning series.
Webinar #3 focuses on the ongoing services we provide when protection concerns have been verified and when a family’s file remains open to our Child and Family Wellbeing teams.
- Why do cases stay open for longer-term services?
- How do we make decisions about whether a family’s file should remain open?
- Why do some cases go to court? How is the decision to go to court made?
Hear how we seek to empower families to reach their goals, how we connect families and children to external and internal supports, healing services and how we decide when a child and family wellbeing case is ready to be closed
Join our host Terri Jaffe, and the following panelists:
- Vivian Roy, Knowledge Keeper;
- Jamie Toguri, Supervisor, Child and Family Wellbeing;
- Miguel Torres, Child and Family Wellbeing;
- Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director;
- Mark Atanasoff, Director of Quality Assurance & Decolonization.
Click to access the presentation files
Below is the recorded webinar available for viewing.
Decolonizing Child Welfare Webinar Learning Series #3 – Feb 25, 2022
Webinar #3 focuses on the ongoing services we provide when protection concerns have been verified and when a family’s file remains open to our Child and Family Wellbeing teams.
- Why do cases stay open for longer-term services?
- How do we make decisions about whether a family’s file should remain open?
- Why do some cases go to court? How is the decision to go to court made?
Please join us to hear about how we seek to empower families to reach their goals, how we connect families and children to external and internal supports, healing services and how we decide when a child and family wellbeing case is ready to be closed
This event has passed, please find the recording: https://youtu.be/G_SwB9wgbc4
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
You’re Invited: Decolonizing Child Welfare Webinar Learning Series – December 13th
Webinar #2 of our Learning Series focuses on the most important decisions made in child welfare arising from the Intake and Assessment process.
Please join us to explore how Child and Family Wellbeing teams respond to concerns about the safety of children and how we connect families and children to early interventions, holistic healing, and prevention services that lessen the need for intrusive child welfare interventions and keep children safe. Attend the discussion to hear how we ensure that families stay together and are safely supported with culture and community.
This event has passed, please find the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgFUgGQF13M
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Announcement from Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) and Peel Children’s Aid Society (Peel CAS)
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto and Peel CAS are pleased to announce a new agreement to provide culturally appropriate Child and Family Well-Being (child welfare) and Holistic (prevention services) supports for Indigenous children, youth, and families in Peel Region.
We are taking this important step as part of our commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada’s Calls to Action with respect to child welfare. It is our goal to ensure that Indigenous children, youth, and families have access to culturally appropriate services provided by an Indigenous agency. Currently there are no Indigenous child welfare agencies operating in Peel. NCFST will work in collaboration with Peel CAS to fill this gap.
Peel CAS and NCFST have recently established a formal agreement between our organizations, so that children in the care of Peel CAS who identify as Indigenous can be referred and/or transferred to NCFST. This includes Indigenous children and youth who are transferring to Peel from other jurisdictions. NCFST offers a multitude of culturally grounded support services that work to enhance the resurgence of Indigenous identity and well-being.
Through important agreements like this we are honouring the TRC’s calls to action and the right to self-determination. As we continue to build this relationship, we are working together to ensure that Indigenous children, youth, and families in Peel receive services that best meet their needs and preserve their cultural connections.
Quotations
“As a culturally grounded agency centred in Indigenous worldviews, we are honoured to walk in relationship with Peel CAS to provide culturally appropriate services to Indigenous children and families in the Peel region. This agreement represents another important step towards ensuring that all Indigenous children and families in Ontario have access to programs and services that are led and delivered by Indigenous agencies.” – Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director, NCFST
“At Peel CAS we are proud to support the diverse communities in our region through a variety of culturally responsive service models that help improve outcomes for the children, youth and families we work with. We are grateful for this new agreement with NCFST, which will expand and build upon the work we have been doing with local Elders and Indigenous organizations to assist with providing culturally appropriate supports to First Nations, Inuit and Métis families. We look forward to working together to build a better future for the children, youth and families we serve.” – Rav Bains, CEO, Peel CAS.
Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer
Executive Director, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
Rav Bains
Chief Executive Officer, Peel Children’s Aid Society
For media inquiries please contact:
Freida Gladue,
Manager of Communications and Culture
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
437-244-2816
[email protected]
Alicia Land,
Communications Consultant
Peel Children’s Aid Society
905-363-6131 x 1157
[email protected]