Carol Mole (centre) accepting Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal with Family
February 22, 2013 (Toronto, ON) – Pickering resident Carol Mole, who has been a foster parent with the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto for over 45 years, has been awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. She received her medal today at a special presentation held in the office of Ajax-Pickering MPP, Joe Dickson. Click here to read the media release.
PARC (Pape Adolescent Resource Centre) guides teens to education, jobs, housing and a better future….click here to learn more.
From Left to Right:
Abdifatah Warsame, Community Development and Outreach, CDYMS
Joe Canavan, Chair, CAF Board of Directors
Laura Albanese, MPP, York South - Weston
Nancy Dale, COO, CAS Toronto
David Rivard, CEO, CAS Toronto
Bahadur Madhani, Chair, Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Toronto Grant Review Team
Abdiqani Mohamed, ED, CDYMS
Len Gamache, President, CAF
Sadiq Ali Hashi, Chair, CDYMS
In an innovative partnership, the Children’s Aid Foundation and the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto have secured a three year funding commitment from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to be granted to The Centre for Youth Development and Mentoring Services (CYDMS). Local MPP Laura Albanese and Bahadur Madhani, the Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Toronto Grant Review Team were on hand Friday evening at York Humber High School to congratulate the organizations involved with the initiative.
(more…)
The Repeal 43 Committee, which our Agency supports, advocates repealing section 43 of the Criminal Code of Canada that permits corporal punishment of children, click link to see their view their latest updates
http://www.repeal43.org
Adoption is the legal process that gives a new family to a child whose birth family can’t care for him or her. Children of all ages can be adoption and come from a variety of cultural, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Each child is different but all can benefit from becoming part of a warm and loving family!
The most comprehensive evaluation ever conducted on family recruitment practices for children in foster was recently released from the US based Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA).
Unadoptable is Unacceptable
This video, released to highlight the positive findings of the Foundation’s five-year research evaluation of its Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, shows that the program works.
Thanks to the commitment of a group of Centennial College students, the Pape Adolscent Resource Centre(PARC) has a brand-new look. To find out all the details, please visit:http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/998410–centennial-students-leave-lasting-legacy-on-pape
Student volunteers from Centennial College’s child and youth worker program are working to refresh the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre (PARC) in east Toronto with new paint, furniture and equipment to make the drop-in centre a more welcoming environment for youth transitioning into adulthood.
PARC provides a safe and supportive environment for youth looking for guidance as they move from the care of Children’s Aid to independent living. Third-year Centennial students identified the centre - which is operated jointly by the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Catholic Children’s Aid and Jewish Family and Child - as a community resource in need of support. The students embarked on a fundraising effort that has collected more than $12,000 in a few short weeks.
“As a youth in care, I lived with labels, with stigma, with a feeling of shame. I was an abused kid; I did not have a family,” recounts one former PARC client, who now studies at Centennial. “But at PARC I did not have to explain. All of a sudden, it was okay to be on my own at 18, okay not to have a family or go home for the holidays.”
On Thursday, April 21, students will be painting and working at the PARC house at 469 Pape Ave. to brighten the basement, renew the front porch and install equipment to help deliver the seminars and coaching its young clients are looking for.
Members of the media are invited to drop in and witness the transformation, and to speak with volunteers about their grassroots effort to enhance the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre.
When: Thursday, April 21, 10 am to 4 pm
Where: Pape Adolescent Resource Centre (PARC)
469 Pape Avenue, Toronto
(at Withrow Ave., 0.5 km south of Danforth)
For further information:
Media contact: Mark Toljagic, Communications Officer, Centennial College, 416-289-5000, ext. 7142 or 416-605-6012/mtoljagic@centennialcollege.ca
TORONTO – The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) welcomes the Government of Ontario’s new initiatives to increase adoptions in Ontario and help youth in care succeed.
“We appreciate Minister Broten’s strong commitment to this comprehensive and very thoughtful set of proposals. Yesterday’s announcement is another important step to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable children and youth in Ontario,” said Mary Ballantyne, Executive Director, OACAS. (more…)
A comprehensive system of child care involves assisting parents with a range of supports for the care of their children, whether it is in the family’s home, in the community or both. Many challenges exist in Canada across this field -from opportunities to build one’s parenting skills, to providing parental leaves, to adequate child tax benefits, to creating quality community based child care. The lack of licenced home or centre-based care and after-school care is the weakest link…
(excerpt) David Rivard, CEO, CAS of Toronto wrote an editorial for the National Post regarding the article ‘Why We Need A National Child Care Program’ by Laurel Rothman, Katherine Scott and Martha Friendly.
Award recognizes local heroes who take action against child abuse and neglect
WHAT: Stand Up for Kids Award Presentation
• The Honourable Laurel Broten will present the eighth annual Stand Up for Kids Award to Dhurata Beqo, who has shown an exceptional commitment to protecting vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. Ms. Beqo’s leadership has meant that mothers fleeing domestic violence more readily accept help from Children’s Aid Societies because she has dispelled myths and fears about child protection services.
• The award is sponsored by the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CAS of Toronto), Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CCAS), Jewish Family and Child Service and Native Child and Family Services of Toronto. (more…)
22b6October 5th, 2010 (TORONTO, ONTARIO) – Toronto’s four Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) will be locating another round of plush stuffed toys at Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto as part of their continuing Show You Care, Toronto campaign.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 6 at 10: 00 a.m.
WHERE: Yonge-Dundas Square
South-East corner of Yonge and Dundas Streets, Toronto
Toronto CASs appeal to the public to return the plush toys to one of their four offices – Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Jewish Family and Child Services and Native Child and Family Service of Toronto. For any remaining plush toys, Toronto’s CASs ask to please leave them for others to find.
BACKGROUND: The Show You Care, Toronto campaign, launched by Toronto’s four Children’s Aid Societies, marks the start of Child Abuse Prevention Month in October. The campaign aims to raise public awareness about how to report child abuse to local Children’s Aid Societies. The campaign will run from September 30th to October 8th.
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For more information, please contact:
Rob Thompson, Children’s Aid Society of Toronto: 416-924-4640
rthompson@torontocas.ca
October 5th, 2010 (TORONTO, ON) – Toronto’s Children’s Aid Societies report that many of the two hundred plush stuffed teddy bears, cats and puppies they located in public areas throughout downtown Toronto and across the city are missing.
The stuffed toys are part of a new Child Abuse Prevention Campaign that challenges Torontonians to take notice and show how much they care about child abuse prevention by texting the word CARE to 82442, or calling 416-960-2327, to have a toy donated to a child in need.
Children’s Aid Societies are appealing to members of the public to leave the stuffed toys where they are for others to find and for people to return the missing toys.
“This campaign acts a visible reminder that we all have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure the safety of children by reporting suspected and known signs of abuse to your local Children’s Aid Society,” said Mary A. McConville, Executive Director, Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. “Without all the stuffed animals being out in the public and visible, the campaign’s ability to create the awareness desired is greatly diminished”, McConville added.The Show You Care, Toronto campaign, launched by Toronto’s four Children’s Aid Societies, marked the start of October’s Child Abuse Prevention Month. The campaign is about raising public awareness about how to report child abuse to local Children’s Aid Societies. The campaign runs from September 30th to October 7th.“In the first two days of the campaign more than 300 people texted or called, reporting that they had seen one of the stuffed animals, after that we noticed a sharp drop in messages, directly related to the stuffed toys going missing”, said David Rivard, Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. “What we really need is for everyone to leave the stuffed animals in place for the duration of the campaign,” he added.
Over the past year, the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Jewish Family and Child Services, and Native Child and Family Service of Toronto have investigated more than 10,000 cases of suspected child abuse or neglect, and provided care for more than 40,000 children.
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For more information, please contact:
Rob Thompson, Children’s Aid Society of Toronto: 416-924-4640 rthompson@torontocas.ca
September 29th, 2010 (TORONTO, ON) – Starting tomorrow, two hundred plush stuffed teddy bears, cats and puppies will be located in public areas, office buildings and police stations throughout downtown Toronto and across the city, challenging Torontonians to take notice and show how much they care about child abuse prevention by texting the word CARE to 82442, or calling 416-960-2327, to have a toy donated to a child in need.
1fb5After 50 years of delivering services to children and families in Scarborough, changes are coming to the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto’s largest branch.
Please visit: http://www.insidetoronto.com/news/local/article/860825–youth-group-home-torn-down-to-give-way-to-new-centre
We added two former Crown Wards to our Board of Directors. Raquel Clarke and Rawle Younge were confirmed as Board members at our Annual General Meeting on June 17th. (more…)
CBC’s Metro Morning host, Matt Galloway, spoke with our CEO, David Rivard. Their conversation focused on the report recently released by the OACAS on the well-being of children in care. Please click here to listen.”
Members of Hope for Change Along with CAS of Toronto Staff
Centennial College Students Give CAS of Toronto an Extreme Makeover
A class project from Centennial College’s Child and Youth Worker program becomes a gift of hope for our children and families
While most people were outside enjoying the long weekend’s unseasonably balmy weather, for a group of
The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) released a report on the well-being of children in care today. The report makes recommendations for changes in three priority areas: services for Aboriginal children and families, adoption and youth growing up in care. (more…)
Please click here to download “Child Welfare Report 2010″
This is the first comprehensive Child Welfare Report for the Province of Ontario. The report provides information and data that describes the services received by over 27,000 children and almost 25,000 families from their local CAS. The report also gives an overview of the factors driving the need for services offered by CASs, the legal mandate of CASs, the investments required to keep children safe, the checks and balances in place to ensure accountability, and how you can help improve the quality and standard of of living for children and youth in care
2001*This story appears in Marketing Magazine (www.marketingmag.ca)
The Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) has launched an awareness campaign to educate the public on the organization’s role within the community, and ways they can get involved. (more…)
This issue of Immigrant Post features articles with a number of CAS of Toronto employees. Please visit Immigrant Post to read more.
The Publisher of Immigrant Post had the opportunity to meet with Sharron Richards, Director of Community Development & Prevention Services and asked the following questions. (more…)
December 18, 2009 (Toronto, ON)- The Children’s Aid Society of Toronto will receive a total of $1.89 million in funding to redevelop their office site on Kennedy Road in Scarborough. A recent joint announcement made by Infrastructure Canada and the Government of Ontario confirmed that $1.26 million will be immediately available to the Society, based on an application they submitted earlier this fall to carry out much needed upgrades to their facility in Toronto’s east end. In addition the Children’s Aid Foundation will contribute $633,334.00 to the project, bringing the total to $1.89 million. (more…)
It was a special anniversary on a typical grey day in November as we set up, with the help of some men who are homeless, for a Community Dinner for families and children who use the food bank and those who use children’s services at Agincourt Community Service Association (ACSA) in Scarborough. Co-sponsored by ACSA, the Scarborough Anti-Poverty Coalition and assisted by the Children’s Aid Foundation, the small event commemorated the 20th anniversary of the 1989 promise to end child poverty in Canada. And after twenty very long years, just how far we had come was on everyone’s mind. (more…)
Award recognizes those who take action against child abuse
October 29, 2009 (TORONTO, ON) – Community hero, Glory Chowtie, whose caring actions saved the life of a new-born child and The Gatehouse, a community agency that offers transformative support to victims of childhood abuse, will both be recognized today for their significant contributions to protecting children from abuse and neglect. The 7th annual Stand Up for Kids Award, sponsored by Toronto’s four Children’s Aid Societies will be presented to Glory Chowtie and The Gatehouse by the Honourable Laurel Broten, Minister of Children and Youth Services as part of October’s Child Abuse Prevention Month. (more…)
The Honourable Laurel Broten, Minister of Children and Youth Services, to present 7th Annual Stand Up For Kids Award
Award recognizes local heroes who take action against child abuse and neglect (more…)
1f4eTORONTO, Oct. 14 /CNW/ - Protecting the well being of Ontario’s most vulnerable children is becoming increasingly more challenging, as the funding shortfall that has already affected 49 of the province’s 51 children’s aid societies deepens.
The provincial government has stated that there will not be any additional funds made available to Children’s Aid Societies (CASs) this year, and that all agencies will have to operate within their existing allocations. Some CASs in Ontario are facing a serious financial crisis and their ability to deliver protection services and care for children may end in November. Other agencies will likely be in a similar position in January 2010. –>
On Tuesday, October 6, Toronto CASs launched Child Abuse Prevention Month for October. Mayor David Miller, local media personalities, government officials and the public joined us in a friendly challenge to determine who has Toronto’s strongest voice against child abuse.
Want to see what the hype is all about?
Click here to see highlights from the Use Your Voice challenge!
Dave Fleming, Director of Intake, spoke with Andy Barrie on September 23rd on CBC’s Metro Morning about the importance of reporting any suspicions of child abuse and neglect.
Members of our Senior Leadership team help to recognize FASDay (International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Day) at our “Pregnant Pause.” The pause was strategically placed on the 9th month of the 9th hour of the 9th minute to symbolize that during the nine months of a women’s pregnancy no amount of alcohol is a safe amount. In Canada, the incidence of FASD has been estimated to be 9 in 1000 live births. The impact of alcohol during prenatal growth has a wide variety of impacts but can include intellectual deficits and learning disabilities, hyperactivity and damage to the central nervous system.
Media Advisory
WHO: TORONTO FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS NETWORK & FASworld
WHAT: Pregnant Pause, in recognition of FASDay (International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Day) will see a large gathering of men and women dressed up to look ‘pregnant’ and observe 99 seconds of ‘frozen’ silence to remind everyone that it is best to stop drinking before trying to get pregnant, when trying to conceive and as soon as you know you are pregnant. The pause is strategically placed on the 9th month of the 9th hour of the 9th minute to symbolize that during the nine months of a women’s pregnancy no amount of alcohol is a safe amount. (more…)