C2Y: Discussions on Child and Youth Care

Youth need to know what their rights are. After the implementation of United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1989 nations across the world began to take child protection a lot more seriously. Governments were mandated to provide the basic necessities to children to help them reach their full potential. As a part of the child protection services in Canada it is mandated that children always know what their rights are. But how can children exercise their rights? Before the advocacy office was shut down in 2018, they were the essential voice for youth in care in Ontario before the Ford administration shut it down. The impacts are still affecting youth today. In this episode, we sat down with Jackson Gate, a former youth in care, and a current practicing paralegal. He gives us a break down of the essential information youth need to know on how to best advocate for themselves. He also is working with an upcoming organization to help educate youth in their rights in a way they can understand. 

Please Check out our website for more details about the programs we have https://linktr.ee/project.outsiders

and for more information regarding the CYFSA please check out our previous episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/5w6lE50lE37CoVrwkw1EDj?si=tsmaG9PfT1y_CHe_hRJp9w

Welcome to the Foster Care Experience Podcast Hosted by Chanice McAnuff. Please be sure to tune into our program every Friday night. 

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At project outsiders we aim to highlight the vulnerabilities of the child welfare system So that you can know what’s happening to youth in your communities and through this We aim to develop partnership with organizations to share resources you can use to stop these ongoing injustices and create a stronger system for youth in care together.

This week’s episode is a conversation with Kismet Meyon, Dr. Maggie Inchley, and Dr. Sylvan Baker from The Verbatim Formula. The Verbatim Formula is “a participatory research project for care-experienced young people. It uses verbatim theatre techniques, listening and dialogue to work with young people, care leavers, social workers, and universities” which “aim[s] to work with young people to make care and education better” (http://www.theverbatimformula.org.uk/).

During our conversation Kismet, Maggie, and Sylvan discuss the process that The verbatim Formula uses, the impacts on them and others as creators, how it is received by those who see their performances (including service providers), and the results of their research.

Visit their website to hear clips and learn more about the innovative and necessary work they create.

This is part 2 of the conversation begun in October, 2019. Melanie Doucet and Harrison Pratt discuss the Photovoice research project titled Relationships Matter for Youth “Aging Out” of Care (https://www.yumpu.com/document/view/59918518/relationships-matter-e-book). Melanie and Harrison are both researchers with direct experience living in the child welfare system. In this episode, they discuss the place of arts in research, the Photovoice process, and analyzing images for themes.

To learn more about the project please visit:

Relationships Matter Project video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lmPDZ360ow&t=40s

·         Relationships Matter Photo E-Book: https://www.yumpu.com/document/view/59918518/relationships-matter-e-book

·         Relationships Matter Executive Summary + Research report (child welfare policy & practice oriented), published via the BC Representative for Children and Youth: https://rcybc.ca/reports-and-publications/reports/relationships-matter-youth-aging-out-care

 ·         Megaphone Magazine cover story and article, January 2019, What do YOUth think? Research project that aims to improve B.C.'s foster care system goes straight to the source.

·         Tyee article, December 13, 2018, Want to fix foster care? Ask kids who have been through the system

·         Tyee article, December 15, 2017, Creating Connections Through Photography

On today’s episodes of  A Right to Speak  Salvatore talks with returning guest Alyssa. Alyssa is current a masters student at Ryerson’s Child and Youth care program. Alyssa will be talking to us about some her research regarding her thesis which she is currently conducting. Alyssa will be explaining to us how youth in care need a better system put in place for their transitional periods. Thank you Alyssa and we hope to have you on the show once your thesis is complete.  

On this episode of Your Right to Speak Salvatore talks Wendy Curnew-Harris who is a residual counselor and has been an Additions worker. Wendy starts off explaining what the Harm Reduction approach is and how to work with youth who have additions. Throughout the conversation, Wendy stresses the importance of taking an individualized approach and being authentic with youth. In keeping with that through Wendy also discuss that sometimes the best approach for youth is abstinence. Let’s Raise Awareness Together.

On this episode of Your Right to Speak Salvatore talks with Bailey, Liam, and Kirkland, three young people from the Cross Over Youth project (http://crossoveryouth.ca) about the closing of the Ontario Child Advocates Office. The conversation starts with the guests explaining what they think the impact will be as a result of closing the Office and how it may affect young people across Ontario. They go on to discuss some of the gaps and challenges they foresee the Ombudsman office will be facing.

Let's Raise Awareness Together. 

This episode of Your Right to Speak is a press conference recording that took place on November 29, 2018 organized by the Ontario Children’s Advocacy Coalition. The press conference was in response to a recent decision by the Provincial Government. Below is a press release from the Ontario Children’s Advocacy Coalition regarding the Government’s Decision:

“On November 15, 2018, the Ontario Government announced its intention to discontinue the Ontario Child Advocate’s Office (OCA; formerly known as Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth). This Office ensures young people have a voice about things that affect their lives. This decision is especially devastating for young people living on the margins, Black youth, Indigenous youth, young people living in the care of public institutions like child welfare or youth justice and those with special challenges or disabilities.

The current Ontario government has said that they will transfer some of the functions of the Office of the Child Advocate to the Ombudsman of Ontario, a much larger office that deals with consumer complaints by adults in a wide range of public services, but that has no experience dealing with child welfare, child and youth mental health and youth justice sectors. Young people involved in those sectors are unfamiliar with the Ombudsman, and there are no opportunities for a collective voice. The Child Advocates Office would be subsumed under an institution that deals solely with adults. An independent Office must be maintained to ensure the appropriate support and care of Ontario’s most vulnerable children and youth.

Presently, the Provincial Child Advocate was chosen and appointed by an all-party Committee of the legislature and he reports directly to the legislature through the speaker. This is to ensure that his Office remains independent and is not unduly influenced by the government or at risk of reprisals for releasing reports to the public that are critical of the government’s performance, particularly as it relates to children in its care. Bill 57 introduced by the Progressive Conservative Government would cut three legislative officers which includes the Ontario Child Advocate. Disrupting the independence and authority of the Child Advocate who represents the most vulnerable children and youth in the province without thoughtful consideration of the facts or thorough public consultation demonstrates an unconscionable breach of power.”

This is part 2 of our is a panel conversation with Tanitia Munroe, Karlene Williams-Clark, Dr. Lance McCready, Elise Yusef and Cannary Branco regarding the research project Understanding Non-Financial Barriers to Black Queer Youth Transitions from High School to College. The primary goal of the project was to build an evidence base to guide the work of postsecondary education connectors working with organizations that serve Black queer youth. The guests are a mixture of researchers, community partners, and people interviewed for the research project.

Due to the number of people we went longer than usual with this episode. Rather than playing the whole 1 hour at once, we split the conversation into two episodes, you can listen to part 1 by going to the October 31 2018 episode of CYC podcast.

This episode is a panel conversation with 5 people, Tanitia Munroe, Karlene Williams-Clark, Dr. Lance McCready, Elise Yusef and Cannary Branco. The conversation is about a recent research project called Understanding Non-Financial Barriers to Black Queer Youth Transitions from High School to College. The primary goal of the project was to build an evidence base to guide the work of postsecondary education connectors working with organizations that serve Black queer youth. The guests are a mixture of researchers, community partners, and people interviewed for the research project.

Due to the number of people we went longer than usual with this episode. Rather than playing the whole 1 hour at once, we are splitting the conversation into two episodes, one this month and the second one the last Wednesday of November.

On this episode of Your Right to Speak I talked with Catherine Ellis-Dobson who is the Assistant Director at Arrabon House. Catherine talks about some of the gaps in the group home/ residential care system and what needs to be changed. The conversation then turns to how to Child and Youth workers know the residential program is benefiting the youth and how success looks like. Near the end of the episode, Catherin offers advice for new students entering the residential setting. Let's raise awareness together! 

Today’s episode is by Donna Reid, who speaks about considering alternative delivery models to the teaching of material related to trauma. Her presentation integrates research and conversations with faculty, and students, and applies the eight principles of trauma towards transforming the CYC classroom and the student experience.

Donna Reid is a Professor in the CYC program at George Brown College in Toronto. Her practice incorporates clinical assessment and treatment, group work and community-based support for youth experiencing emotional and behavioral difficulties connected to emotional dysregulation, adoption and developmental trauma. This presentation is based on research she has been doing for the past year looking at trauma and CYC education.

This week is the seventh in our uploads from the 20th Canadian National CYC conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia this past May, and is by Shadan Hyder and Colleen Snell. While the presentation is by two people, the voice you’ll hear most, is Shadan’s. Colleen is primarily dancing with Shadan.

 This presentation was originally part of larger project, which began by questioning whether empathy and caring can be taught; asking if it is possible to value and trust instinctual wisdom, care ethics, love, relational knowing, or inter-subjective practices within academic institutions. Exploring the incongruence between preparing students for CYC practice within traditional academia the duet demonstrates personal narrative as a position of wisdom.

Shadan Hyder is an advocate, a practitioner, and currently finishing her MA in CYC at Ryerson University in Toronto. Colleen Snell is a dancer, choreographer, and the Artistic Director of Frog in Hand Productions, a dance company based in Mississauga Ontario. To learn more about Frog in Hand please visit www.froginhand.com

This week is the fourth in our uploads from the 20th Canadian National Child and Youth Care conference held in Vancouver, British Columbia this past May. This session discusses CYC education practicums and is presented by Pamela Nicholls and Dr. Rob Lees. Pamela Nicholls is speaking as a 4^th year practicum Student at the University of the Fraser Valley. Dr. Lees, is a faculty at the University of the Fraser Valley.