OACAS has released our 2023-2024 Annual Report, Advocating for Change in Support of Children, Youth, and Families. The report highlights the activities and key achievements of OACAS over the last year to advocate for and advance the priorities of our members and the children, youth, and families they support.
On May 14, 2023, we organized our first-ever advocacy day at Queen’s Park in honour of Children and Youth in Care Day, meeting with Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) to reinforce what we heard through a series of listening roundtables with young people in and from care. We hosted a reception, in partnership with the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, where we welcomed youth from the #ForgetMeNot campaign to remind MPPs that children and youth in care face unique challenges and they need the support of their communities.
Through the One Vision One Voice (OVOV) program, we continued to advocate for Black children, youth, families, communities, and staff. We hosted our second annual Policy Forum to facilitate cross-sectoral dialogue about the impacts of anti-Black racism across systems and released new guidance for child welfare agencies working with Black families. By integrating our 2SLGBTQ+ work directly with the OVOV program, we strengthened the alignment of our equity initiatives, ensuring an intersectional approach.
Throughout the year, we promoted the needs of our members and Ontario children, youth, and families in response to government efforts to bring positive change to the child welfare system, including the implementation of Ready, Set, Go and the Quality Standards Framework, the 5-year review of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, and proposals to strengthen oversight of children’s licensed out-of-home care.
This year, OACAS experienced key transitions at the leadership table. To better support our own organization and our members in our collective efforts towards truth and reconciliation, we welcomed a Director of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Holistic Practices. We also said farewell to our CEO Nicole Bonnie after more than four years in the position. During this transitionary phase, while continuing to rely on our 2018-2023 strategic plan as a guide, OACAS has been focused on understanding and articulating our members’ key priorities and exploring innovative ways to bring attention to these issues.
Success in advocacy requires a multifaceted approach, including effective messaging, strong partnerships, and persistence. OACAS is steadfast in its commitment to working collaboratively with our members, our board of directors, provincial partners, and government to continue to advocate for a child welfare system, and broader children’s services system, that allows all young people and their families to thrive.
To read our complete Annual Report, click here.
