Children’s aid societies and Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agencies, otherwise known as child welfare agencies, are dedicated to promoting the safety, health, and well-being of children, youth, and families across Ontario. They do not just provide protection services; they work tirelessly with community-based partners and service providers to facilitate crisis intervention and ongoing early intervention and prevention-focused care. They are key members of larger networks of care in communities across the province and are committed to ensuring children, youth, and families have the resources they need.
On October 9, 2024, the Ontario government released details about a review of child welfare agencies that they are undertaking with the help of a third-party vendor. The review will include a comparative analysis of the province’s 37 non-Indigenous child welfare agencies. OACAS and non-Indigenous child welfare agencies are committed to working in partnership with government and key parties to support the third-party review. We look forward to learning more about expectations and next steps once a vendor has been selected.
We hope that the review will provide the Ontario government with a clear understanding of the persisting pressures and challenges that child welfare agencies are facing. Further, we hope that it leads to meaningful solutions that will help transform systems of care, beyond the child welfare sector, so that children, youth, and families receive high-quality, trauma-informed community-based care that is culturally relevant, responsive, and identity-affirming.
The work of child welfare agencies demands robust social infrastructure. While the Ontario government undertakes the review, we hope they will also continue to work toward immediate solutions to ensure community-based organizations and service providers, including child welfare agencies, can effectively work together to ensure children, youth, and families have timely and equitable access to all the resources they need to thrive.
OACAS, in partnership with our members, remains steadfast in our commitment to work alongside the Ontario government, provincial partners, service providers, and community-based organizations to transform systems of care serving children, youth, and families. All levels of government, ministries, provincial partners, community-based organizations, and service providers have a role to play. Together, we can transform our systems of care so they are responsive to the unique needs of children, youth, and families and promote their safety, health, and well-being.
