Toronto, ON – The BC Representative for Children and Youth Report, “Don’t Look Away – How one boy’s story has the power to shift a system of care for children and youth,” has recommended a new framework and new understanding of systems and services that provide adequate support for youth in and out of care. This new report places a critical importance on child well-being and bolsters the ongoing discourse in Ontario where decision makers in this sector are coming together to create meaningful change.
“For over 20 years, StepStones has understood that our child welfare system in Ontario, built over a hundred years ago, could not meet the needs of children and youth encountering it today,” said Heather O’Keefe, Executive Director and Founder of StepStones for Youth. “This is why we have been so successful operating a service rooted in belonging.”
“The wisdom of the BC report dovetails with our work at StepStones,” says O’Keefe. Since their founding in 2004, StepStones for Youth has prioritized long-term, preventative solutions over short-term interventions. StepStones is working closely with individuals and partner organizations who are also committed to this next stage of action. O’Keefe stated, “Over the past year, we have been bringing together the most generative thinkers connected to the child welfare system through a collective impact strategy that will culminate in 2025 with a vision for a fundamentally new child protection and children service system.”
The collective impact strategy, led by Toronto-based StepStones for Youth, will lay out a model in which every young person is safe and can access appropriate and inclusive services efficiently, and every biological, foster, kin, adoptive, and chosen family has all the resources they need to provide the best care for their children. With the collaboration of like-minded individuals and organizations who share the same goals and objectives for youth in and out of care, a plan is being set in place to bring about real change across the province.
O’Keefe added, “We can use the BC report as a point of departure for Ontario. We are inviting government officials, service providers, advocates, young people with lived experience, and parents and caregivers to engage with us in this work.” For more information on the collective impact strategy and process, and for media availability, contact Gabriel Perez at gperez@stepstonesforyouth.com.
