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June 2021

2020-2021 NCFST Annual Report

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto is pleased to release our 2020-2021 Annual Report. We would like to express our deep gratitude to our partners, funders, and community members for supporting us through this past year of uncertainty, growth, and development. Please read the detailed report for the progress our agency has made during such a challenging year.

In addition to our Annual Report, we have also released our Audited Financial Statements for 2020-2021.

This year’s Annual Report and Financial Statements, as well as previous Annual Reports and Financial Statements, are also available on our Policies and Publications page.

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Mount Dennis and Malvern Aboriginal Child and Family Centres

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto recently opened the Mount Dennis Malvern Aboriginal Child and Family Centre and the Malvern Aboriginal Child and Family Centre.  These multi-service centres will have several services including an EarlyON and Aboriginal Head Start programs and will provide children, parents and caregivers access to culturally responsive programs and services in an inclusive and welcoming space that supports their well-being, enriches their cultural knowledge, and provides opportunities to strengthen relationships. Along with early years programming, the centre will also provide supports for community members across all ages, including youth programming and Elder/Senior wellness programs.

Some of the programs and services that will be offered are drop-in and group programs, sharing circles, access to Knowledge Keepers and Elders on-site and ongoing parent and education supports, pre and post-natal programs in partnership with the Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto, Mommy Matters and Parenting Together Programs. One permanent Zhishay (uncle) to support fathers, and one Ninoshe (auntie) to support mothers. Regular ceremonies will be offered with cultural teachings, language and/or community events including weekly family cultural nights and seasonal feasts and drum socials. The outdoor features a play and ceremonial space that includes a medicinal garden a fire pit and a sweat lodge.

Children aged 0 to 6 will have access to play-based learning in a culture of inquiry and experience positive developmental, spiritual, and physical health and well-being. Aboriginal families and caregivers will be able to strengthen their relationships with their children with the help of services and tools provided by the centre including on the land programming. As a community, at this centre, we will have a chance to build positive relationships with local service providers, including other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal agencies to ensure that collaborative and integrated services are available to Aboriginal children and families that meet their unique needs.

We are beyond grateful to the following funders and friends for their support in creating these multi-service centres. We could not have done it without you all!

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Mt. Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre – Virtual Grand Opening

Today on National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, 2021, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) is both excited and honoured to announce the opening of Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, located at 1290 Weston Road in York. This new multi-service centre will have several services including an EarlyON and the Kiiwednong Aboriginal Head Start program that will provide children, parents and caregivers access to culturally responsive programs and services in an inclusive and welcoming space that supports their well-being, enriches their cultural knowledge, and provides opportunities to strengthen relationships. Along with early years programming, the centre will provide supports for community members across all ages, including youth programming and Elder/Senior wellness programs.

This virtual grand opening will include a walk-through of the new site, video statements from Faisal Hassan, MPP for York South-Weston and Katharine Bambrick, the CEO of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, as well as live speeches from Mayor John Tory, Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director of Native Child and Family Service of Toronto, and a traditional opening with a Community Grandmother.

The Centre will provide integrated services for Aboriginal children, families and caregivers that are culture-based and designed to engage parents and caregivers, support early learning and development, make connections for families, and meet the unique needs of Toronto’s Aboriginal community.

“We are envisioning these hubs as intergenerational spaces so we can see young kids engaging and interacting with their parents, but then also coming back for a culture night or a community ceremony with their grandparents, older siblings, and their friends, and I think having all of those generations interacting in one place is going to be very supportive for the community.” ~ Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer

Some of the programs and services that will be offered are drop-in and group programs, sharing circles, access to Knowledge Keepers and Elders on-site and ongoing parent and education supports, pre and post-natal programs in partnership with the Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto, Mommy Matters and Parenting Together Programs. One permanent Zhishay (uncle) to support fathers, and one Ninoshe (auntie) to support mothers. Regular ceremonies will be offered with cultural teachings, language and/or community events including weekly family cultural nights and seasonal feasts and drum socials. The outdoor features a play and ceremonial space that includes a medicinal garden a fire pit and a sweat lodge.

Children aged 0 to 6 will have access to play-based learning in a culture of inquiry and experience positive developmental, spiritual, and physical health and well-being. Aboriginal families and caregivers will be able to strengthen their relationships with their children with the help of services and tools provided by the centre including on the land programming. As a community, at this centre, we will have a chance to build positive relationships with local service providers, including other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal agencies to ensure that collaborative and integrated services are available to Aboriginal children and families that meet their unique needs.

A very special Chi Miigwetch to our generous funders. Indigenous Services Canada, City of Toronto Children’s Services, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Aboriginal community councils for their collective support. This multi-service centre will provide access to health and wellness for the community in the city of Toronto for years to come.

We are beyond grateful to the following funders and friends for their support in creating these multi-service centres. We could not have done it without you all!

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NCFST Celebrates National Indigenous People’s Day

Today, on June 21, we celebrate National Indigenous People’s Day. This is a day where we acknowledge, honour, and participate in the rich and vibrant cultures of the First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities on Turtle Island. It is important that we celebrate this day because Canada has not always celebrated and respected Indigenous peoples, culture, and ceremonial practices. This year, celebrations will look different for two very important reasons. The first reason is that the typical ceremonies, Pow Wows and large community gatherings have been suspended in respect of local public health guidelines and community concern for health and safety. At Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, we are celebrating the Grand Opening of the new Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. We encourage folks to check out the virtual launch on our website. The other, more somber reason why our collective celebration is different this year has to do with the horrifying discovery last month of the remains of 215 Indigenous children near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School on the lands of the Tk’emlups te Secwépemc First Nation in British Columbia.

The spring of 2021 will be forever remembered when Canada woke to the discovery of dead Indigenous children buried in their backyard and to the realization that Canada committed genocide. This visceral and naked moment has prompted many Canadian folks to reflect, educate and seek direction from Indigenous communities. For this we are encouraged. For Indigenous people, it is a reminder that our healing journey is ongoing, and feelings of anguish and anger permeate our consciousness. For this we are loving. For nine days beginning on June 1st 2021, NCFST sites across the GTA hosted Sacred Fires in honour of the 215 children found at Kamloops Indian Residential School to acknowledge the painful legacy of the Indian Residential School system. We recognize that more remains have been found and stand ready to support community as we continue our collective journey towards Healing & Reconciliation.

As we stand in the aftermath of the Canadian awakening some hard realities remain. Indigenous children and families continue to suffer due to the heavy burdens of a genocide that echoes through time. Many Canadians have tried to normalize or ignore inequities found in Indigenous communities; we know this cannot continue. We ask folks to visit the Indigenous Spirit Fund at www.indigenouspiritfund.org to learn more about reconciliation and how folks can support decolonization through philanthropy. Native Child and Family Services of Toronto was founded by the urban Aboriginal community of Toronto to address the aftermath of Indian Residential Schools and the over-representation of Indigenous children and families in mainstream child welfare. As an organization, we continue to remake inherited colonial structures and processes in ways that acknowledge, respect and include Indigenous worldview, knowledge systems, values, and approaches.

At NCFST, we believe that inter-generational Indigenous knowledge and practice play a crucial role in the well-being and health of all Indigenous people. Creating opportunities for collective experience and sharing our cultural gifts is how we keep our community strong and children thriving and safe.

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PRESS RELEASE: NCFST’s Grand Opening of the Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre

Toronto, Ont., June 18, 2021 – On National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, 2021, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) is both excited and honoured to announce the opening of Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, located at 1290 Weston Road in York. This new multi-service centre will have several services including an EarlyON and the Kiiwednong Aboriginal Head Start program that will provide children, parents and caregivers access to culturally responsive programs and services in an inclusive and welcoming space that supports their well-being, enriches their cultural knowledge, and provides opportunities to strengthen relationships. Along with early years programming, the centre will provide supports for community members across all ages, including youth programming and Elder/Senior wellness programs.

This virtual grand opening will include a walk-through of the new site, video statements from Faisal Hassan, MPP for York South-Weston and Katharine Bambrick, the CEO of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, as well as live speeches from Mayor John Tory, Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director of Native Child and Family Service of Toronto, and a traditional opening with a Community Grandmother.

The Centre will provide integrated services for Aboriginal children, families and caregivers that are culture-based and designed to engage parents and caregivers, support early learning and development, make connections for families, and meet the unique needs of Toronto’s Aboriginal community.

“We are envisioning these hubs as intergenerational spaces so we can see young kids engaging and interacting with their parents, but then also coming back for a culture night or a community ceremony with their grandparents, older siblings, and their friends, and I think having all of those generations interacting in one place is going to be very supportive for the community.” ~ Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer

Some of the programs and services that will be offered are drop-in and group programs, sharing circles, access to Knowledge Keepers and Elders on-site and ongoing parent and education supports, pre and post-natal programs in partnership with the Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto, Mommy Matters and Parenting Together Programs. One permanent Zhishay (uncle) to support fathers, and one Ninoshe (auntie) to support mothers. Regular ceremonies will be offered with cultural teachings, language and/or community events including weekly family cultural nights and seasonal feasts and drum socials. The outdoor features a play and ceremonial space that includes a medicinal garden a fire pit and a sweat lodge.
In 2019, the Native Child and Family Centre of Toronto received a $150,000 Capital grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to create a healing garden at the new Centre. OTF is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. It was awarded $115 million to 644 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.

“As the MPP for York South-Weston, I can’t emphasis strongly enough how grateful I am to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for the grant that helps establish the Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre’s healing garden,” said Faisal Hassan, MPP. “Much good work has been done and now we will benefit as a community from the Mount Dennis Centre. I recognize and welcome initiatives that will help Indigenous families and children find a safe space of health and wellness in an urban setting. Thanks to the incredible staff and team at the Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre that will do the important work that will enrich the lives of Indigenous youth through arts, culture and heritage.” ~ MPP Faisal Hassan, York South-Weston

Children aged 0 to 6 will have access to play-based learning in a culture of inquiry and experience positive developmental, spiritual, and physical health and well-being. Aboriginal families and caregivers will be able to strengthen their relationships with their children with the help of services and tools provided by the centre including on the land programming. As a community, at this centre, we will have a chance to build positive relationships with local service providers, including other Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal agencies to ensure that collaborative and integrated services are available to Aboriginal children and families that meet their unique needs.

A very special Chi Miigwetch to our generous funders. Indigenous Services Canada, City of Toronto Children’s Services, Ontario Trillium Foundation, and the Aboriginal community councils for their collective support. This multi-service centre will provide access to health and wellness for the community in the city of Toronto for years to come.

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto also operates an EarlyON at Yonge and College, the Scarborough Child and Family Life Centre near Kingston and Galloway, Malvern Aboriginal Child and Family Centre, and a mobile Aboriginal fathering program, alongside many other programs and services. As EarlyON Centres are currently under a provincial closure order due to COVID-19, NCFST will continue to offer virtual and remote services from these new locations and continue to offer land-based programming in City of Toronto parks until they are permitted to open.

To register for this event please visit: https://kastio.com/ncfstmtdennis

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For more information contact:
Freida Gladue, Manager of Communications and Culture
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
437-244-2816 [email protected]

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Virtual & Day Camp Registration is open for youth 6-16 years of age.

The deadline to apply for both camps is JUNE 15, 2021

VIRTUAL CAMP (6-16 years)

Virtual Camp will be offered to 3 age groups: 6-9, 10-12, and 13-16

DAY CAMP (6-12 years)

Day camp programs will be offered on the land in alignment with the Government of Ontario, Toronto Public Health, and Ontario Camps Association safety provisions. A guide will be provided to families in their welcome package with further details.

Campers will be placed within small groups between the age of 6-12.

We will offer a SCARBOROUGH (Joseph Brant PS*) and DOWNTOWN (Queen Alexandra*) location.

*Permits are pending for both locations.

APPLICATION PROCESS (BOTH CAMPS)

  • Campers are only to apply for one opportunity VIRTUAL OR DAY CAMP (as they run at the same time).
  • Applications must be completed by Camper’s Legal Parent/Guardian.  For children who are in the care of NCFST, this means the NCFST Worker must complete the application/consent for the child (not the Resource Home).
  • An application must be completed for each Camper. The deadline to apply for both camps is JUNE 15, 2021
  • Applications submitted may not be all accepted due to numbers, selection criteria. Parent/Guardian/Resource will be notified of application status via email by June 18.

Submit a camper application for VIRTUAL CAMP (ages 6-16)

Submit a camper application for DAY CAMP (ages 6-12)

For more info email: [email protected]

GRUNDY LAKE OVERNIGHT CAMP (FAMILY CAMPS)

We are still in the process with solidifying our plans for Grundy Lake Overnight Camp, which due to COVID19 we hope to offer as a Family Camp this year.  By offering small, family-cohort camps, we can ensure camper safety and compliance to all Ministry directives.

We will be asking that families submit an expression of interest (starting June 15) for this year’s very limited-space Family Camp (should we be able to offer).  The link will be posted June 15th for families to add their name to the list.  Stay tuned!

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You’re Invited to attend a Virtual Grand Opening of the new Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto is excited to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day with a Virtual Grand Opening of the new Mount Dennis Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. This intergenerational and multi-service centre will include an Aboriginal Head Start and an EarlyON that will provide children and families with a place of health and wellness in the city of Toronto for years to come.

We are delighted to invite you to attend this virtual event on Monday, June 21st at 10 AM where you will learn more about the culture-based programs and services developed to support Aboriginal children and their families. Please join us and meet the dedicated staff, experience a virtual walk-through of the new site, and celebrate with our staff and community. 

We would be honoured to have you as our guest. 

REGISTER HERE

*Alternatively, you can copy and paste this link: https://kastio.com/ncfstmtdennis into Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Safari to register* 

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May 2021

NCFST Statement on the 215 Indigenous Children found buried at an Indian Residential School in Kamloops BC.

It is with tremendous grief that Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) expresses our deepest condolences and prayers to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community and all the West Coast Nations for the 215 Indigenous children found buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.

For the 215 kids, 430 parents, 860 grandparents, and for the innumerable aunties, uncles, cousins, friends, and relatives NCFST) stands in unity with all our relations during this time of immense loss and healing. Children are the root of our culture; they are our sacred bundles and gifts from Creator. As we walk in solidarity with the community, we recognize the tremendous weight of these losses and the importance of creating space for folks to come together to grieve, heal, and honour the lives of those who have moved onto the Spirit World. NCFST will be providing sacred fires and other ceremonies and supports at several of our locations that span the North, South, East, and West locations of the City over the next nine days to ensure staff and community can safely offer tobacco and prayers.

The discovery of the mass grave is a reminder of the genocide perpetuated by Indian Residential Schools and has triggered deep emotional responses across Turtle Island. The intergenerational trauma caused by the Residential Schools, with the stated policy to “Kill the Indian to save the Child”, is a stark reminder that more action is needed to fully address current and past injustices committed against Indigenous peoples, communities, and nations.

Now is the time to act on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. Now is the time for accountability and concrete action to achieve true reconciliation and devolution of services to Indigenous organizations and communities. Moreover, the TRC made six recommendations regarding missing children and burial grounds, including a call for the federal government to work with churches, Indigenous communities, and former residential school students “to establish and maintain an online registry of residential school cemeteries, including, where possible, plot maps showing the location of deceased residential school children. NCFST supports these calls to action including searching the grounds at other former residential schools to continue the journey of truth and reconciliation and support the healing journey that many families will need.

NCFST was founded by the urban Aboriginal community of Toronto to address the aftermath of Indian Residential Schools and mainstream child welfare. Over more than three decades we have grown into Canada’s largest multi-service urban Aboriginal agency providing holistic, culture-based programs and services and child protection for Aboriginal children and families. An Elder once asked, if it takes three days to walk into the bush, how many days will it take to walk back out again? The answer, of course, is three days. Canada’s colonial legacy runs deep, and we know it will take many years to address it. We must walk together at a brisk pace not only for all the children we have lost walking into the bush, but for all of those who have and will be born as we walk out again.

With our deepest respect and love.

All my relations

If you need support call 1-866-925-4419

The Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line is available 24-hours a day for anyone experiencing pain or distress as a result of his or her Residential school experience.

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Let the children play! Getting children and youth outdoors now for an active recovery.

Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, SickKids and researchers from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto are sending a call to action to prioritize children’s health and development during the COVID-19 pandemic

As Ontario strives to rebuild and recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, action is needed now to prioritize our children’s optimal health and development. By applying Indigenous tools and approaches to well-being through access to the outdoors and physical activity, we can help to reduce the consequences of the pandemic and shape the future trajectories for a generation at risk. This call to action was created in partnership between Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST), The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and researchers from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto.

Read More Here: https://www.sickkids.ca/en/news/archive/2021/let-children-play/

#paediatrics #pediatrics #childhealth #childrensmentalhealth #NCFST #IndigenousCommunity #MentalHealthSupport

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Press Release: New study is a step in the right direction to help reshape child welfare in Ontario

                                                                                               

Monday, May 3, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 New study is a step in the right direction to help reshape child welfare in Ontario

 The official release of the first study to examine child welfare investigations involving First Nations children in Ontario.

[Toronto, ON]: A new study seeks to understand the differences between child welfare investigations involving First Nations children and non-Indigenous children.

The Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal (CWRP) and the Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario (ANCFSAO) release the first report of the First Nations Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2018 (FNOIS‑2018), a study of child welfare investigations involving First Nations children. The FNOIS is embedded within the larger provincial study: the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS), which released its sixth provincial study last year.

The sample includes 7,115 child maltreatment-related investigations reported by 18 child welfare agencies (15 Children’s Aid Societies and 3 Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agencies) across Ontario in 2018.

From the rates of investigations to the categories of maltreatment to ongoing services and child placements, the report seeks to explore the full spectrum of the child investigation lifecycle. “Understanding the reasons why our children come into the child welfare system is critical in reshaping a system that struggles to collectively meet the needs of our people.” Amber Crowe, ANCFSAO Board President.

Researchers, led by Professor Barbara Fallon from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social, University of Toronto funded through a Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Chair in Child Welfare, note that the differences between First Nations and non-Indigenous children “must be understood within the context of colonialism and the legacy of trauma,” two considerations that perpetuate the overrepresentation of First Nations children in the child welfare system.

“The research speaks to the stories of First Nations children and families connected to the child welfare system. Their stories continue to enrich us with the knowledge that we can do better.” Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director of Native Child and Family Services Toronto.

The FNOIS-2018 was gifted the name Mashkiwenmi-daa Noojimowin: Let’s Have Strong Minds for the Healing from Elder Danette Restoule, the Elder-in-Residence at the ANCFSAO. The name speaks to the hard work that must be done to address the intergenerational effects the child welfare system has had and continues to have on First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families.

This report excludes data involving Métis and Inuit children, analyses concerning their intersection with the child welfare system will be guided by Métis and Inuit communities.

Copies of the First Nations Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect-2018 can be viewed and downloaded from the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal at www.cwrp.ca and the Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario at www.ancfsao.ca.

About the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal
The Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal (CWRP) provides access to up-to-date research on Canadian child welfare programs and policies. The Portal is a partnership supported by McGill University’s Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF), the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, PART (Practice and Research Together), and PolicyWise for Children and Families.

About the Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario
The Association of Native Child and Family Services Agencies of Ontario (ANCFSAO) was established in 1994 and is mandated to “build a better life for all Indigenous children through promoting the delivery of culturally-based services to Indigenous children, families, and communities.” Combined, these agencies serve 90% of on-reserve communities in Ontario. Through ANCFSAO’s leadership, they support 11 designated and one pre-mandated ICFWBA who provide decolonized child welfare services to their communities.

Media Contacts
Amber Crowe [email protected]
Jeffrey Schiffer [email protected]
Barbara Fallon [email protected]

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