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upcoming events
featured news
02/04/25:
The following are two reports prepared by CWTTC member, Professor Brooke Richardson for use in court proceedings from her position as an expert on risk-based child protection systems, particularly birth alerts, in Ontario.
In the October 20th, 2023 report Dr Richardson provides her opinion in support of the Plaintiffs' motion for certification around the potential harms to parents associated with pre-birth intervention in a “risk-based” child protection system, specifically arising from Birth Alerts.
Find the October 20th, 2023 report here.
In the September 20th, 2024 report Dr. Richardson provides her opinion in response to the affidavits delivered by the Defendant Children's Aid Societies on the issues of; pregnant woman’s consent to engagement with CAS and birth alerts, the apprehension of children following a birth alert, and the role of confirmation bias in CAS interventions after birth alerts.
Find the September 20th, 2024 report here.
12/11/2023:
The Child Welfare TRUTH-Telling Collective was honoured to have held a conversation with Gimaa (or ‘leader’ in Anishinabek) Laforme of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and on whose traditional lands many of the original members of the CWTTC have lived and worked upon.
Beyond being a leader in his community, Gimaa Laforme is also a storyteller and poet with two published works, “Living in the Tall Grass: Poems of Reconciliation” (2018) and the forthcoming “Love, Life and Loss and a Little Bit of Hope” (2024).
We found his integrity and wisdom powerful and hope that his thoughts might kindle in others similar sparks. We thank Gimaa Laforme for sharing his wisdom and appreciate his words and efforts in creating a space for hopeful dialogue that seeks common growth while reconciling with the past.
09/01/2023:
Can child welfare worker truths lead to change?
Click on this link to an article by Kristen Jones, published in Mother Jones. In part, it’s inspired by one of our members, Lydia Bloemendal, who gave a presentation at the Kempe Conference in 2022 about ghosts in the psyches of child welfare workers. Thanks also to member Val Rode for reminding readers that child welfare workers often stand in the midst of families who genuinely need things to be different in their lives.
06/02/2023:
Congratulations to Dr. Brooke Richardson on the successful launch of her edited volume “Mothering on the Edge: A Critical Examination of Mothering within Child Protection Systems”.
This work is layered with wisdom about the lived experiences of mothers and what happens when they encounter the world of child protection. It invites a discussion and the book launch, hosted by The Laidlaw Foundation and The Child Welfare TRUTH-Telling Collective did not disappoint.
On May 24, 2023 more than a hundred people gathered, either in person or online to talk. Mothers living with the hard violence of investigation and child removal and the accompanying violence of shaming, silencing and felt powerlessness shared their truths.
For those who spoke, thank you for your courageous words.
And for those who witnessed, this event urged us to wrestle with our complicities in harming and responsibilities as treaty persons in reconciliation and in the promotion of systems that are caring, compassionate and just.
Our gratitude extends to:
Elder Whabagoon and Laura Mae Lindo for setting us on a good path for the evening.
Anita Horner and Marilee Sherry, our gracious hosts.
Laidlaw Foundation for their generous support.
Haiat Iman for your guidance.
Irwin Elman whose support made it all possible.
And Brooke for courage, inspiration and penetrating insights.
Congratulations to former Collective Member and MSW placement student Victoria Woghiren who was one of five to win the 2022 Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Storytellers Challenge!
Victoria was an essential research member working on the Placement Project. See her award-winning submission here:
TRUTH-Telling and Witnessing Circle
A truth-telling and witnessing circle is a space for people who work or have worked, directly or indirectly, in the child welfare system in any capacity.
This circle is an opportunity to take some early steps in the journey toward reconciliation.
This circle will ignite our capacities for taking stock of the harms we’ve participated in and orient us toward our treasured collective humanity.
The circle guides will co-create a ‘safe enough’ space where together we can speak our truths and witness the truths of others.
In this space, you will feel comfortable to ‘pass’, if it is not your time to share. You are encouraged to bring your authentic self and be fully present. This space not about finger-pointing or shaming.
Each circle experience is unique. We invite you to attend whether it is your first one or you have been to several.
If Not Risk Assessment, Then What?
If not risk, then what?
Risk protocols are seemingly everywhere in child welfare. What is ‘risk’ work and assessment really like? What does it accomplish? What gets squeezed out?
This webinar invites diverse, possibility-minded people to discuss the prospect of moving beyond risk-centered child welfare services, as we collectively respond to the question of: If not risk, then what?
Guided by our lived experiences, we will aim to:
· make sense of the literature describing, supporting, critiquing, and resisting risk within contemporary child welfare systems;
· share our reflections on risk and specifically the ways we have been able to resist its dominance;
· discuss alternatives to the risk paradigm that are being tried in other jurisdictions.
What you can expect:
1. A supportive and trusted space, to speak your truth and feel heard
2. Respect for your lived experience, perspective, and knowledge
3. Insights that will get you thinking about how the use of risk assessment and contemporary practice could change
Exploring Transnational Adoption - History, Impact and Global Reckonings
This webinar will benefit adoption professionals, researchers, adoptees, and anyone interested in the intersection of family, identity, and global justice.
Join us for an insightful and engaging webinar presented by founding members of the US-based nonprofit organization Alianza of Colombian Adoptees (ACÁ), as we explore the complex world of transnational adoption. From South Korea and Ethiopia to China, Colombia, and Canada, we’ll examine the current global reckoning surrounding problematic transnational adoption practice. We will also focus on the history of Colombian transnational adoption and its long-term implications for adopted individuals and their first families.
You can expect to:
Gain a deeper understanding of the challenges adult adoptees face in reconnecting with their identity and first families
Participate in an open discussion on the implications for adoption policy and practice.
Webinar: Crossover Youth: At the Intersection of Child Welfare & Justice Systems
“Crossover” is a term used to refer to youth who are involved in both the child welfare and justice systems (both juvenile and adult systems). This webinar aims to educate participants about the path for children from experiencing maltreatment to exhibiting delinquent behavior and the systems that forge it. Highlights from academic literature will be followed by panel discussion where we’ll hear from young people who experienced both systems, worker advocates, and researchers. Together we will explore opportunities for system changes and webinar participants will be invited to share their reactions and inspirations to positively impact the occurrence of crossover youth.
TRUTH-Telling and Witnessing circle
Register for a Truth-Circle Today!
A truth-telling and witnessing circle is a space for people who work or have worked, directly or indirectly, in the child welfare system in any capacity.
This circle is an opportunity to take some early steps in the journey toward reconciliation.
This circle will ignite our capacities for taking stock of the harms we’ve participated in and orient us toward our treasured collective humanity.
The circle guides will co-create a ‘safe enough’ space where together we can speak our truths and witness the truths of others.
In this space, you will feel comfortable to ‘pass’, if it is not your time to share. You are encouraged to bring your authentic self and be fully present. This space not about finger-pointing or shaming.
Each circle experience is unique. We invite you to attend whether it is your first one or you have been to several.
Register today to save your Seat Click here or scan the code
Reading Cafe
The CWTTC Reading Cafe was designed to provide a warm and supportive space for collective members and past/current placement students to engage in fulsome discussions about decolonization. This month we focus on the concept of reparations, ways we can participate and integrate these practices.