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Recruiting Former Youth in Care for Research Study on Career Development Experiences

Researchers at the University of Calgary are conducting a study on the career experiences of young adults who aged-out of foster care, kinship care, or community-based care in Canada. The study is called ‘What Helps and Hinders in the Pursuit of Career Success?’.

To be eligible to participate in this study, you need to:
• Be between the ages of 18 to 29
• Have previously spent at least two years in foster care, kinship care, or community-based care in Canada
• Have aged-out of care in Canada
• Self-identify as doing well in your career development

If you are interested in participating then you will be asked to:
• Complete a short demographic questionnaire
• Participate in up to three interviews where you will be asked to share your career development experiences; Interviews will be conducted 1-on-1 virtually or in-person.

To express gratitude for contributing to this research you will be provided with a $15 e-gift card for participating in interview one, another $15 e-gift card for participating in interview two, and also a $10 e-gift card for participating in interview three.

If you have any questions or if you would like to participate in this study, please contact Ashlee Kitchenham at ashlee.kitchenham@ucalgary.ca

The University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board has approved this study [REB23-1099].

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Recruitment for study on lived experiences of former children and youth in care is now open.

The International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership (ICCRP) aims to conduct a research study to explore intergenerational relationships, lived experiences of former children and youth who aged out of the Ontario child welfare system, and child welfare policy and practices.

The research question of the study is: “How Do Intergenerational Relationships among People with Lived Experiences in the Ontario Child Welfare System Influence Child Welfare Policies and Practices?”

To be eligible for the study, you need to be:

a resident of Canada.
have lived experiences in the Child Welfare System of Ontario; and
be 18 years old or older.

Participants are still eligible to participate in the research study if they are still receiving financial support from child protection agencies.

If you meet these requirements, the ICCRP invites you to participate in a semi-structured virtual interview that will be no more than 60 minutes long. Your participation will involve:

communicating with research assistants via email about your availability for the interview.
disclosing personal information to demonstrate your eligibility (e.g. your age, if you are a resident of Canada or not, lived experience in the Child Welfare system of Ontario); and
attending a one-hour virtual (audio)/phone interview with the research team and answering study questions.

If you are interested in volunteering in the study, ICCRP will send you another email at least two weeks before the interview date with information about the research study and a consent form. You will have time to let them know if you have any questions. If you agree to participate by signing and returning the consent form, ICCRP will forward the interview questions along with a list of mental health and emotional support resources.

Your participation is completely voluntary. No financial compensation will be provided but will have opportunities to engage in other ICCRP activities if you consent to being contacted in future. If you participate, your identity will not be shared with others outside of the research team. You have the right to withdraw voluntarily from participation or parts of participation at any time without providing any reasons.

The research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC) and has been reviewed and approved by the Toronto Metropolitan University Research Ethics Board Reference ID 2023-057. You can learn more about the research study by clicking this infographic, ICCRP Overview Infographic August 2023 (torontomu.ca).

If you are interested in more information about the study or would like to volunteer, please contact Jessie Lynn Cross at jessielynncross@torontomu.ca or you can choose to contact Tara Collins by email tara.collins@torontomu.ca or call 416-979-5000, ext. 554563.

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Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s 2024-25 Scholarship Application is Now Open, Apply Today!

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada post-secondary scholarships award young people $5000 for each academic year until they finish their program (to a maximum of 7 years from their program start) through a once yearly competitive application. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 24th, 2024.

If you are starting or continuing in full time studies in the 2024-25 academic year, and aren’t already receiving a Foundation Scholarship ($5000 a year)*, apply here for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Scholarship today!

Visit our website for the link to the online application form, full eligibility information and answers to the most asked questions, or contact the Foundation’s PSE team at grants@cafdn.org .

Scholarship applications are open to youth with both financial need and the potential to succeed in their program of study. To be eligible, a student must be:

Be attending a post-secondary institution full-time or on a reduced schedule due to an academic accommodation, for a full school year starting in September 2024 or January 2025

Have been or will be in the temporary or permanent care of the Ministry or Department responsible for child protection services up until your age of majority birthday or had been in permanent care of the Ministry or Department responsible for child protection services for at least 12 months

Are under the age of 30

Are over the age of 30 and have not received a CAFC Scholarship or Bursary before

If you have any questions about the application form, process, or eligibility, we can help!

Email grants@cafdn.org with your questions and visit our website for more information and the application link.

Apply for a free 2-day Trades training!

Are you 18+ with lived experience in the child welfare system? Discover your passion for Ontario’s skilled trades!

The Trades Ready Youth 2-Day Workshop entails:

Construction Industry Certifications
Hands-on training for entry-level Electrical apprentice skills (Wiring, VR, etc.)
Mentorship sessions
Networking opportunities

Coffee, light snacks and lunch will be provided. Hard hat and work boots included.

Date and Time: Feb. 4 and 5, 2025, 8 am – 4 pm

Address: IBEW Local 804 5158 Fountain St N, Breslau, ON

Consultation opportunity for Indigenous youth from Care!

The Indigenous Youth Advisory Council at ANCFSAO has a new series called the “Youth Led, Youth Friendly Document Series”. This Series aims to broaden the network and understanding for children and youth in care and how they engage with the system.

As part of the series, they want to engage with youth across the province for the following dates (all meetings will be 4:30-6:30 PM to accommodate school/work schedules):

December 18th, 2024
January 8th, 2025
January 15th, 2025
January 16th, 2025.

These engagements will include fun ice breakers along with interactive activities and questions to get a sense of what the youth wish was more youth friendly about the system, their learning styles. Each youth who engages will be provided with honorarium for attending and engaging.

ANCFSAO aims to create deliverables based on this consultation phase (podcasts, infographics, short animated videos, pictures, etc.) to help youth find additional routes to understanding the navigation of their journey in child welfare.

After this they will be re-engaging with the youth groups so they can provide feedback on the deliverables and if they think these truly are youth led and youth friendly. Once they have amended from the feedback they will begin rolling this out online and through their networks by holding sessions to introduce and teach their new sets of tools to Child Wellbeing and CAS agencies across Ontario.

Eligibility

Indigenous youth between the ages of 14-24 across Ontario who have been involved with a CAS or Child Well being agency and want to share their stories and provide feedback to help the next 7 generations.

They are accepting up to 18 youth per engagement, once you have received the invitation to the meeting it means your registration has been accepted. If they have reached the limit they will reach out to inform you or reschedule you for another date.

Sign up

Please follow the link Here to sign up! Please forward to any youth you think would be interested.

Nia:wen and we really look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions reach out to prevention@ancfsao.ca

Invitation to take part in study for child welfare workers

You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Drs Kristen Lwin and Kristina Nikolova from the School of Social Work at the University of Windsor.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study is aims to examine Canadian child welfare workers’ quality of life being in a helping profession, and organizational culture and climate. The study also aims to assess whether child welfare worker and organizational characteristics are related to service decisions.

PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to complete an online survey, which includes questions about yourself (e.g., education level and field, position, caseload), your perception of the social context in the organizational environment, and your quality of life being in a helping profession. The online survey also includes a case vignette, where you will be asked to identify the risk of future maltreatment to the child, the family’s strengths and needs, and next service steps. The online survey should take between 30 and 40 minutes. The survey is fully anonymized, and we do not require any personal information, such as your name or employing agency.

POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There is a potential risk that you may feel uncomfortable, anxious, or upset participating in the study. There is also a risk to feel a loss of privacy or reputation for choosing to, or choosing not to, participate in the study. The decision to participate in the study is totally voluntary and fully anonymous; there is no requirement to participate. The URL from which you are completing the survey cannot be traced back to you. If you agree to participate and begin to complete the survey, you may withdraw from the study by closing your browser at any time. There are no consequences or repercussions for choosing not to participate in the study or by choosing to withdraw from participation. Your participation in the study will not be known by the organization that recruited you or PART and your decision to participate or not will have no impact on your relationship with your employer or the organization that recruited you or PART.

POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
Findings from this study aim to build knowledge about child welfare workers’ quality of life being in a helping profession and service delivery in Canada. This is the first time many of these measures have been used in Canada and will hopefully be used in future studies to support child welfare workers and service delivery.

RENUMERATION
If you choose to be included, there will be a random draw for $25 gift card where 50 people will receive an e-gift card to Tim Horton’s or Amazon, based on their preference. If you would like to enter into the random draw at the end of the survey you will find a link to a separate survey where you can enter your name and email address. This second survey, where you enter your name and email address, is not linked to your first survey,
therefore, your participation in the study remains anonymous. If you enter into the random draw and are one of the 50 people chosen you will be notified by email, if you are not chosen you will not be notified.

PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
Upon consenting to participate in the study, you will be automatically directed to the online survey. You can withdraw your consent to participate in the study by closing your browser and not completing the survey or specific questions. Your responses will be saved after the completion of each section of the survey. You may choose to close your web browser at any time; however, any pages of the survey that have been completed will be included in the analysis. Once the survey is closed ([insert date here]) responses will be downloaded and saved on a University of Windsor computer and kept under password protection and retained until the completion of the study. Only Drs. Kristen Lwin and Kristina Nikolova, and research assistants will have access to the data. The data will not be shared with any other party or agency. It is estimated that the survey will take between 30 and 40 minutes to complete.

You may choose to withdraw from the study at any time. There is no penalty for withdrawing from the study. You cannot, however, have your data removed from analyses, as all surveys are anonymous.

FEEDBACK OF THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY TO THE PARTICIPANTS
Results of this study will be found on the University of Windsor website in summer 2026 at https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/research-result-summaries/.

Results will also be provided to child welfare workers through written reports and oral presentations through Practice and Research Together (PART) www.partcanada.org in spring 2025. If you would like a report emailed directly to you please email Kristen Lwin at kristen.lwin@uwindsor.ca

SUBSEQUENT USE OF DATA
These data may be used in subsequent studies, publications, and presentations. All data will be presented in the aggregate. Data on Qualtrics will be deleted upon completion of the study (spring 2026), the PI will securely store the data for further analyses.

RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
If you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant, contact: The Office of Research Ethics, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4; Telephone: 519-253-3000, ext. 3948; email: ethics@uwindsor.ca. This study has been cleared by the University of Windsor Research Ethics Board (clearance #24-009).

Link to survey: https://uwindsor.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bxPZlV51026hct8
Please contact Dr. Kristen Lwin (University of Windsor) if you have any questions at kristen.lwin@uwindsor.ca.

Manitobans can now access addiction treatment virtually without appointment

Manitobans can now access addiction treatment through Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinics virtually without an appointment. This new option allows individuals to connect with RAAM clinics online.

The Digital Front Door platform provides virtual drop-in services led by nurses. This platform aims to reduce barriers to care, such as transportation costs, travel, and stigma, making it easier for individuals to seek help for substance use and addictions.

RAAM clinics are drop-in facilities that help people manage substance use, including medical assistance to reduce or stop use.

The clinics operate on a firstcome, first-served basis. Dr. Erin Knight, medical lead for RAAM, said that the virtual platform allows for aspects of addiction services such as treatment overviews, harm reduction education, and connections to counselling while still enabling in-person assessments when necessary.

Register for BOLT’s Day of Discovery in Toronto to learn about a career in construction

Registration for BOLT’s Day of Discovery is open! Participants have the unique opportunity to tour a high-rise construction site, meet with a variety of industry professionals to learn more about their roles and how to get started and determine if a career in construction is right for them.

Please check this flyer and BOLT’s Instagram Highlights for more info.

WHEN AND WHERE?
Date: Wednesday, October 10th Time: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: George Brown College – Casa Loma Campus

WHO SHOULD JOIN

Youth 17-29 years old, living in the Greater Toronto Area
Curious or interested in a career in construction
Facing barriers to accessing training and employment

This program is not recommended for youth who have a fear of heights. Space is limited and registration for the event is mandatory.

REGISTER BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4TH

Please register by filling out this form: BOLT Charitable Foundation | Building Opportunities for Life Today (neoncrm.com)

Voices Scholarship Program 2024 – 2025

The Voices Scholarship Program consists of five awards: The Voices Bursary, the Marie Christian Award, the Reaching for the Stars Scholarship, the Honouring Our Youth Scholarship, and the Kiwiytin Scholarship:

The Voices Bursary is made possible through the fundraising efforts of Voices members and staff, and donations from the public. Administered by The Winnipeg Foundation, this award of $1000 is given to a youth in or from care from any community in Manitoba, in recognition and celebration of how far you’ve come, and where you’re headed.

The Marie Christian Award (also known as the Lemonade Award) is a $1000 award is given to youth in or from care who embody leadership qualities including integrity, compassion, kindness, and bold audacity. Additional consideration will be given to youth who exhibit a positive attitude and determination to take sour circumstances and create delicious opportunities.

The Reaching for the Stars Scholarship, valued at $500, will be awarded to one female recipient in or from care in Manitoba who is attending post-secondary education, to help that young woman reach for the stars and obtain her highest aspirations. The scholarship is sponsored by Chapter H of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Honouring Our Youth Scholarship, valued at $1000, is sponsored by the Child and Youth Care Workers Association of Manitoba (CYCWAM), a non-profit, volunteer association of child and youth care workers in the province of Manitoba.

The Kiwiytin Scholarship, is valued at $2000. This award is given to students in or from care who have a clear sense of their Kiwiytin (their North Star) and are taking steps in the right direction towards achieving their dreams.

https://voices.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024-2025-Voices-Scholarship-Application.pdf

Remember to save your copy to your device before filling it in. If you would prefer a paper copy be mailed to you, send us an email at ask@voices.mb.ca. Application deadline: September 23rd, 2024.

Network Retreat for Youth from and in care in Manitoba

Youth in and from care, ages 14 to 24, are invited to join VOICES for a weekend of learning, sharing, and making friends. At the Retreat, you will learn more about yourself, your connections to community, and ways to use your experiences to be empowered. You can also climb things, jump off things, swim, go for walks by the lake, and play weird games.

The theme for this retreat is “Living Expert. Sacred Story.” We are the expert of our own lives, and we hold within us our sacred stories. We can choose to share our stories to help us heal, and to help inform and educate others. During the retreat, you will learn and practice the art of sharing your stories in safe ways.

The BOLD Show: Based on the success of VOICES’s talent show last fall, participants are once again invited to share their gifts and talents and reveal their identity at the BOLD Show on Saturday night. Sing, dance, yodel, recite your poetry, show us your art, twist your legs into a pretzel, throw webs from your wrists.

The Fall 2024 retreat will be held October 11th to 13th, 2024. Download and save your registration package to your device before filling it out. Once complete, return by email to ask@voices.mb.ca or drop off at 3rd floor, 61 Juno Street (BGC Winnipeg head office) by Monday, September 23rd, 2024.

https://voices.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Participant-Registration-Forms-Fall-2024.pdf

https://voices.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Adult-Support-Registration-Form-Fall-2024.pdf

ICCRP Research Opportunity for Individuals with Lived Experience in Care

You have been invited to participate in a research study being run by the International and Canadian Child Rights Partnership (ICCRP) if you have lived experience in the child welfare system. The study aims to explore intergenerational relationships, lived experiences of former children and youth who aged out of the Ontario child welfare system, and child welfare policy and practices.

The research question is: “How Do Intergenerational Relationships among People with Lived Experiences in the Ontario Child Welfare System Influence Child Welfare Policies and Practices?”

ICCRP is seeking 50 participants; to participate, you need to be:
● a resident of Canada;
● have lived experiences in the Child Welfare System of Ontario; and
● part of one of these age cohorts
○ 18-29 years of age
○ 30-39 years of age
○ 40-49 years of age
○ 50-59 years of age
○ 60+ years of age.

Participants are still eligible to participate in the research study if they are 18 years or older; and/or if they are still receiving financial support from child protection agencies.

If you do not meet these requirements, but you know someone who may meet these criteria and interested in taking part in this study, please forward this invitation to any potentially interested individual(s).

If you meet these requirements, we invite you to participate in a semi-structured virtual interview that will be no more than 60 minutes long. Your participation will involve:

o communicating with me and other research assistant via email about your availability for the interview;
o disclosing personal information to demonstrate your eligibility (e.g. your age, if you are a resident of Canada or not, lived experience in the Child Welfare system of Ontario); and
o attend a one-hour virtual (audio)/phone interview with me and another research team member and answer the study questions.

If you are interested in volunteering in this study, you will receive another email at least two weeks before the interview date with information about the ICCRP in it, and a consent form that includes brief information about the research study. You will have time to let us know if you have any questions. If you agree to participate by signing and returning the consent form, we will forward the interview questions along with a list of mental health and emotional support resources.

Your participation is completely voluntary. No financial compensation will be provided, but will provide an opportunity to engage in other ICCRP activities if you consent us to contact you in future. Please know that there is no requirement to participate in this study. You may know our lead co-investigator or other research team members due to their extensive experiences in the child welfare system in Ontario. If you choose not to
participate, it will not impact your relationship with either of the primary investigators, Jane Kovarikova or Tara Collins, or other research assistant, or Toronto Metropolitan University.

If you participate, your identity will not be shared with others outside of the research team. You have the right to withdraw voluntarily from participation or parts of participation at any time without providing any reasons.

The research is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Ontario Research Fund-Research Excellence (ORF-RE) and has been reviewed and approved by the Toronto Metropolitan University Research Ethics Board Reference ID 2023-057.

If you are interested in more information about the study or would like to volunteer, please email Jessielynncross@torontomu.ca or you can choose to contact Tara Collins by email tara.collins@torontomu.ca or call 416-979-5000, ext. 554563.

Support to Action Webinars: Free and Online

Employment Ontario is offering free online webinars geared towards educational liaisons, case workers, independence workers, child and youth workers, child welfare system staff who support youth, foster parents, adoptive parents, youth in transition workers and community partners who support at risk youth.

You will learn

What is the Trades Ready Youth Program by Child welfare PAC
What is a trade and what is an apprenticeship
What it means to be “Trades Ready”
What are the five things that a youth can do to be a trades ready youth?

Presenter experience includes:

Retired Director of Service, Child and Family Services
Apprenticeship Youth Advisor
Education Specialist in Apprenticeship Pathways

Date and Time:

September 17 at 3:00 – 4:15 pm
September 18 at 7:00 – 8:15 pm

45 minute presentation & 30 min question and answer session.

Recruiting Former Youth in Care for Research Study on Career Development Experiences – Second Call for Participants

To be eligible to participate in this study, you need to:
• Be at least 18 years-old
• Have previously spent at least two years in foster care, kinship care, or community-based care in Canada
• Have aged-out of care in Canada
• Self-identify as doing well in your career development

If you are interested in participating, then you will be asked to:
• Complete a short demographic questionnaire.
• Participate in an interview where you will be asked to share your career development experiences; Interviews will be conducted 1-on-1 virtually or in-person.

To express gratitude for contributing to this research you will be provided with an e-gift card.

If you have any questions or if you would like to participate in this study, please contact Ashlee Kitchenham at ashlee.kitchenham@ucalgary.ca

The University of Calgary Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board has approved this study [REB23-1099].