Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We are committed to providing culturally responsive, anti-oppressive services for the families we serve.

Children’s Aid Societies  across Ontario are dedicated to continually learning and to ensuring that we provide services that are inclusive and are respectful of the unique needs of each family. We are committed to acknowledging the role that systemic racism has played in child welfare, and to dismantling that very system has had devastating impacts our communities.

As part of our commitment, we have conducted several consultations with community members throughout Durham Region to ensure that our services evolve to meet the diverse needs of all the families we serve. We have implemented a number of changes resulting from what we learned during those sessions. This is ongoing, and we pledge to continue this process.

PATH: Public Accountability Town Hall

Over the last three years, we hosted a series of public consultations, a series of consultations called ‘PATH’ — Public Accountability Town Hall — throughout Durham Region. These sessions are open to all. We are excited to share the changes we’ve made using feedback we’ve received, and want to hear more from our community as we continue to evolve with a more culturally-relevant and holistic lens.

For more information, please contact Shailene Panylo, Diversity Initiatives & Community Engagement Lead.

Declarative Statements

To demonstrate our commitment and to help guide our service planning and delivery, we have approved the following declarative statements:

Indigenous Statement

We commit to honouring the diverse Indigenous histories, practices and cultural teachings that have been in place since time immemorial, including the seven sacred teachings, the great law of peace and many others.

Anti-Black Racism Statement

We recognize that people of African descent represent a distinct group whose human rights must be promoted and protected. We stand in solidarity with the Black community and commit to intentional change through agitation and advocacy for dignity, racial equity and social justice.

Anti-Oppresive Practice Statement

We will actively work to recognize, challenge and dismantle systemic oppression and inequity against racialized and historically marginalized populations, including the unique circumstances and needs of Black, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+ communities, individuals with varying visible and invisible abilities, and those facing the hardships of poverty.