Child Welfare Advocacy Coalition

11/23/2023

📣 Did you miss our LIVE panel discussion on the state of child welfare in Nova Scotia? Don't worry, we've got you covered!

Join us at CWAC as we delve into the complex challenges confronting child welfare in our province. Our esteemed panelists brought together their wealth of experience to deliberate on key areas including:

1️⃣ The Consequences of Poverty and the Housing Crisis
2️⃣ Psychological Strains on Families and Workers
3️⃣ Repercussions on the Children and Family Services Act
4️⃣ Catalyzing Change in Child Welfare.

Our panelists included:
🔹Brooke Richardson, PhD, - A care activist and scholar with extensive research on childcare policy and child welfare systems.
🔹Robert Seymour Wright - A Social Worker and Sociologist well-known for his work in cultural competence and conducting cultural assessments.
🔹Ilana Luther - The Executive Director at the Access to Justice & Law Reform Institute of Nova Scotia, with a background in law and policy.
🔹Jacklyn Paul - Policy Analyst with Mi'maq Right Intitaive

Catch the replay of this thought-provoking discussion right here 👇 [Link to the video]

Let's continue the conversation and work together towards a better future for our children. 💪🏻💗

11/09/2023

📣 We need your help to shape the future of child welfare in our province!

The Department of Community Services is reviewing the Children and Family Service Act (CFSA). This is a significant opportunity for you to share your experiences and insights.

CWAC has prepared a community resource to help answer the questions asked by the Government

You can participate by:

Attending public engagement sessions across Nova Scotia
Providing your input via the online survey

Emailing your thoughts, ideas, and feedback directly to [email protected]

Mailing your input to CFSA Engagement, Department of Community Services, 1894 Barrington St., 5th floor, Halifax, N.S., B3J 2A8

Your voice matters! Let's work together to make a significant difference in the lives of our community's children, youth, and families. Thank you for your participation in this important initiative.

10/26/2023

"🚨 URGENT CALL TO ACTION 🚨 The housing crisis in Halifax is hitting survivors of domestic abuse hard. Women and children, already victims of violence, now face the terrifying prospect of homelessness. We MUST demand more from our provincial government! They acted swiftly for wildfire victims - let's demand the same urgency for those escaping violence at home. 👊💔 "

01/27/2023

Everyone agrees that child welfare is an extremely important job, so why do so few people want to do it? The head of the College of Social Workers will tell us.

01/27/2023

Earlier this week, CWAC was on CBC radio to talk about how when a child is temporarily taken away from their family, the parents also lose the Canada Child Benefit. This practice regularly leads to a horrific domino effect too often resulting in families being pushed further into severe poverty and permanently losing custody of their children.

When a child is temporarily taken away from their family, the parents also lose the Canada Child Benefit... a source of income they may really need. In many cases that income loss can have an impact on getting the children returned. The Child Welfare Advocacy Coalition joins us with an update on tha...

10/23/2022

Presented by: Nova Scotia Coalition for Community Well-Being Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Nova Scotia Nova Scotia College of Social Workers Educat...

10/18/2022

Last night we heard from panelists brought together by the Nova Scotia Coalition for Community Well-Being about the urgent need to end the horrific experience of poverty felt by almost 1 in 4 Nova Scotian children and their families by demanding that our politicians make meaningful policy changes based on the social determinants of health.

Add your voice and contact your representatives by following the link below to the campaign webpage.

https://www.povertyisapoliticalchoice.ca/

10/12/2022

On October 17th from 6:30 - 8:30 pm, the Nova Scotia Coalition for Community Well-Being is hosting Poverty is a Political Choice on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty at the Paul O'Regan Hall Halifax Central Library. The Child Welfare Advocacy Coalition will have a table at the event and we would love to see you all there in support! Please see the link for more information!

Poverty has been legislated into existence through chosen policy approaches to social welfare followed by a refusal to fix social programs.

10/05/2022

Poverty has been legislated into existence through chosen policy approaches to social welfare followed by a refusal to fix social programs.

06/08/2022

Cindy Blackstock encourages Canadians to consider our response to the current injustices that this generation of children are experiencing across the country.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/peter-bryce-exhibit-ottawa-church-residential-schools-1.4142766

For more information on the child welfare crisis in Nova Scotia, visit CWACs website https://childwelfarens.org/

An Ottawa doctor who blew the whistle on children dying in Canada's residential schools in the early 1900s is the focus of a new exhibit that opens Saturday at the downtown church he attended.

05/26/2022

Today we took our advocacy to the offices of MPs in the Halifax Dartmouth area: Lena Metlege Diab, Darren Fisher, and Andy Fillmore. It was great to speak with staff about how we can work together to stop the harmful practice of removing the CCB from families involved with DCS. Looking forward to continuing these important conversations and making some long-overdue changes!

05/25/2022

To read CWAC's Open Letter to Minister MacFarlane, check out our website at childwelfarens.org

Contact your local MLA and the Houston gov't to let them know Nova Scotians demand this harmful practice ends NOW.

You can find your MLA at: https://enstools.electionsnovascotia.ca/edinfo/

You can reach Houston at: [email protected].