February 2023
December 2022
October 2022
Indigenous Child Welfare Reform Annual Report to Community
On Canada’s first NDTR, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) announced its commitment and dedication to decolonize Indigenous child welfare services in the city of Toronto. Over this past year, NCFST went through a critical examination of our child and family wellbeing services, including standards, service eligibility criteria, assessment tools, and current practices. This report addresses priorities for redesigning child welfare with the intent to help reduce the number of Indigenous children in care.
Many thanks to community who participated and help us every day in our continuous efforts to heal and find a better way forward.
Annual Report to Community
As part of our annual report back to community for 2022, our Quality Assurance and Decolonization team has prepared a separate report on the activities, reform and discussion ideas provided by both the Community Advisory Circle and various Staff consultation processes, including the Staff Advisory Group.
Transformation in Action at NCTST Report
September 2022
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation: Calls to Action
September 30th is Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR). On this day, we honour the children who never returned home from Canada’s residential schools along with the Survivors, as well as their families and communities. Remembering the painful and tragic history and acknowledging the ongoing impacts of residentials schools is a vital component of the reconciliation process with Indigenous peoples.
On Canada’s first NDTR, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) announced new commitments dedicated to continuing our journey to decolonize Indigenous child welfare services in the city of Toronto. Over the past year, NCFST went through a critical examination of our child and family well-being services, including standards, service eligibility criteria, assessment tools, and current practices.
NCFST invites you to join us on Friday, September 30th at 10 AM – 12 PM where we will provide a report back to community addressing the priorities for redesigning child welfare to help reduce the number of Indigenous children in care. During this virtual event we will have special guests join in the conversation around the importance of this report and we will share some exciting new announcements.
This event has passed, please find the recording: https://youtu.be/-QNmN1jxlcg
June 2022
Decolonizing Child Welfare Webinar Learning Series #5 – Recording
Webinar #5 of our Decolonizing Child Welfare Learning Series focuses on Holistic Healing, Prevention and Early Intervention programs.
NCFST offers a wide array of programs available to children, youth, individuals and families open to all self-identifying community members, whether or not a child welfare file is currently open. Holistic programs seek to empower families to access resources and supports that can avert crises that may necessitate child welfare, and to support Youth in strengthening resilience and personal growth in contemporary cultural contexts.
In this webinar, we describe how our culturally grounded holistic healing and early intervention services work to provide the necessary resources and supports to families to prevent the need for Child and Family Wellbeing (child welfare) involvement or help families succeed so that time involved in child welfare services is minimized. We discuss how our services work together and work with external Indigenous and mainstream services to strengthen parents and children at risk of involvement in child welfare services or who are already working with child welfare services as part of their healing journey.
Join our host Terri Jaffe, and the following panelists:
- Pat Green, Knowledge Carrier;
- Daniella Robinson, Supervisor of Bekaadendang Program
- Jennifer Gray, Supervisor of Early Years
- Jessica Wilson, Manager of Early Years & Community Programs
- Julianna Meawasige, Supervisor of Aboriginal Child and Family Centre
- Siobhan McCarthy, Director of Holistic Services
- Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director;
- Mark Atanasoff, Director of Quality Assurance & Decolonization
Below is the recorded webinar available for viewing.
April 2022
Decolonizing Child Welfare Webinar Learning Series #4 – Recording
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.
Join our host Terri Jaffe, and the following panelists:
- Vivian Roy, Knowledge Keeper;
- Mary-Ann Rice, Supervisor of Family Finding
- Tammi Ferguson, Kinship Support Worker
- Jeffrey Schiffer, Executive Director;
- Mark Atanasoff, Director of Quality Assurance & Decolonization.
Click to access the presentation file
Below is the recorded webinar available for viewing.
February 2022
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.
October 2020
NCFST and TPS Community Consultations
Race-Based Data Collection: Analyses and Reporting in the Toronto Police Service
WHAT:
Voice your thoughts about racism in policing. Share your stories and receive a generous honorarium and medicines.
WHY:
Representatives of the TPS will be present to share their plans to collect, protect and use race-based data to address systemic racism. Your feedback will help police comply with Ontario’s Anti-Racism Act in a good way.
HOW:
These sessions will be co-facilitated by an Elder, a Clinical Worker, and a Quality Assurance and Decolonization analyst via Zoom. Participation is limited to a maximum of eight participants per session.
Register Here: https://bit.ly/3nQQVtw
WHO:
Anyone who identifies as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit ages 18 and older.
WHERE:
Links to Zoom will be sent out to each participant once registration is confirmed and the consent form returned.
WHEN:
October 13 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
October 16 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
October 27 from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
October 30 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
November 03 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
NEW DATE ADDED: November 13 from 1:00PM – 4:00PM
For more information, or to register call Judith at 416-969-8510 ext 3709 or email [email protected].
September 2020
CHI MIIGWETCH: COMMUNITY GIVEAWAY DAY!
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 12PM TO 3PM
While we may not be able to drum and dance together this year, we can still feast! Visit us at 30 College, SCFLC, the NYRC, or the Malvern Hub to pick up an NDN Taco Take Away kit, and awesome swag like orange masks (just in time for Orange Shirt Day), white buffalo sage, and cold & flu tea.
12pm FACEBOOK LIVE – our virtual Grand Entry! Tune in to listen to Big Train open the day with an honor song, and a Community Message from Dr. Jeffrey Schiffer
For details about what’s happening at each site (or to volunteer!) please connect with:
30 College: Kayla Vesterfelt [email protected]
NYRC: Alexandra McMinniman [email protected]
SCFLC: Andrea Hayward [email protected]
Malvern: Shannon Wooler [email protected]
Thank you to all. Please share widely with staff, community, families and friends. These events are open to everyone.
Chi Miigwetch,
The Culture Team
June 2020
City of Toronto COVID-19 Mental Health Support Strategy
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto has partnered with the City of Toronto and other community organizations to develop a Mental Health Support Strategy (MHSS) that responds to the needs of diverse Toronto residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can learn more about the MHSS in the City’s full statement.
For more information on partner organizations and City of Toronto initiatives, visit the social media links listed below:
Social Media Links
Partners Facebooks
https://www.facebook.com/211Central/
https://www.facebook.com/progressplaceclubhouse/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009165484071
https://www.facebook.com/KidsHelpPhone/
https://www.facebook.com/acrossboundariesmentalhealth/
https://www.facebook.com/nativechildandfamily/
https://www.facebook.com/CAFCAN-1945845209056475
https://www.facebook.com/WoodGreenDotOrg
https://www.facebook.com/ONPsych/
https://www.facebook.com/HongFookMentalHealthAssociation/
https://www.facebook.com/FamilyServiceToronto/
City Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/torontopublichealth/
https://www.facebook.com/cityofto/
https://www.facebook.com/TorontoTYES/
Partners Twitter
@211Central
@Progress_Place
@gersteincrisis
@KidsHelpPhone
@AB_MentalHealth
@NCFST
@CanadianAfrican
@WoodGreenDotOrg
@ONPsych
@HFMentalHealth
@FamilyServiceTO
City Twitter
https://twitter.com/toyouthcabinet?lang=en
https://twitter.com/TOPublicHealth
https://twitter.com/torontotyes?lang=en
https://twitter.com/CABR_Toronto
https://twitter.com/SafeCity_TO
https://twitter.com/cityoftoronto
Partners Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kidshelpphone/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/abmentalhealth/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/progressplaceclubhouse/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/nativechildoftoronto/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/hongfookmha/
https://www.instagram.com/familyservicetoronto/?hl=en
City Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/youth.toronto/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/torontotyes/?hl=en