Every October, StepStones for Youth stand in solidarity with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS), children’s aid societies, and Indigenous Child and Family Well-Being Agencies as part of the provincial Dress Purple Day campaign. Together, we join forces with government, community organizations, service providers, and individuals to raise awareness about the vital role that we all play in supporting children, youth, and families facing challenges.
This year, StepStones echoes OACAS’s call to action for Ontario to invest in stronger social infrastructure in our communities. It’s crucial that children, youth, and families across the province have access to timely, trauma-informed, identity-affirming, and inclusive services that meet their unique needs close to home.
We invite you to join us in urging the province to take meaningful steps toward making this a reality, ensuring that all children, youth, and families can thrive within their communities.
Find out more at http://www.oacas.org/dresspurpleday
Open letter to Premier Doug Ford
This year, StepStones for Youth will be wearing purple to show our commitment to the health and well-being of children, youth, and families across Ontario. Many in our province face challenges accessing the community-based care that is essential for their growth, health and success. Alongside our partners, we are encouraging the Ontario government to take steps to ensure that community-based organizations and service providers have the resources they need—whether through funding, staff support, or infrastructure—to truly meet the needs of the people they serve.
We believe that a cross-ministerial approach to investing in community-based services is critical. By strengthening social infrastructure, Ontario can better support children, youth, and families through actions such as:
- Developing and promoting integrated, wraparound approaches to service delivery, ensuring families have access to individualized, coordinated care that is easy to navigate;
- Making targeted investments in communities so children and youth can access the supports they need close to home, no matter where they live;
- Addressing systemic gaps and barriers in care, meeting children, youth, and families at their point of need;
- Improving access to early intervention and prevention-focused programs so families can receive the right care at the right time, before situations reach a crisis point;
- Ensuring that children, youth, and families with complex needs (e.g., mental health, developmental, and social challenges) can access specialized and intensive supports. Additionally, ensuring seamless transitions from youth to adult services so no one is left behind as they age.
You can read the open letter to Premier Doug Ford, signed by organizations from across the province who are committed to supporting children, youth, and families. The signatories include municipalities, non-profits, and organizations across sectors such as child welfare, mental health care, community health, and more.
