PROGRAM GUIDE - American Humane Association

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Honouring the Circle, Connections and Wisdom 12:15 – 1:15 P.M. Lunch (provided) 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. Workshops and Discussion Groups Facilitating Open Adoption through Family Group Conferencing TRACK 1 Innovative Practices and Developments LEVEL Foundational Pat Convery, Gail Aitken and Jean Skelton, Adoption Council of Ontario/ Children in Limbo Task Force of the Sparrow Lake Alliance; and Mary Rella, Thistletown Regional Centre/Children in Limbo Task Force, Toronto, ON, Canada FGC is an emerging practice in creating Openness Agreements between adoptive and birth families. While open adoption is becoming more common when a birth parent voluntarily relinquishes a child, it is less often considered when a child is in foster care and parental rights have been terminated by a court order. Child welfare professionals usually recognize the benefits of openness for the child but are often unsure about the level of openness that is appropriate for a child who has been in foster care. This workshop will focus on the benefits and challenges of the FGC model in facilitating Openness Agreements with the goal of helping adopted children develop a sense of permanency that includes their identity as a member of their birth families, their expectations with caregivers, and their status in the adoptive family. Members of the Children in Limbo Task Force of the Ontario Sparrow Lake Alliance will explore key issues in a panel presentation followed by open discussion. Youth Transition Conferences: Youth Voice, Youth Choice TRACK 2 Youth and Family Engagement LEVEL Advanced Tony Vanon, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Burnaby, BC, Canada This session will present information on an initiative started in British Columbia in 2004 to look at ways of fostering permanency for youth “aging out” of the child welfare system. Using a collaborative approach, Youth Transition Conferencing actively engages youth and the significant others that the youth choose to address their needs so that when youth leave care they are not on their own, but have a caring person or people whom they can draw on for support in order to successfully make this difficult transition. Youth are encouraged to think about what they do well and what their support group does well. Support group members are also encouraged to look at what the youth does well and what they as support people do well. In addition, goals related to transitioning to adulthood are generated by youth. The support people consider ways that they can actively support the youth attaining these goals. 1 st Canadian Conference for Family Group Conferencing 12
Honouring the Circle, Connections and Wisdom ADR Training in the South West Ministry Region: Lessons Learned TRACK 4 Implementation: Building a Strong and Sustainable Foundation LEVEL Intermediate Louise Vandenbosch, Community Services Coordination Network, London, ON, Canada This workshop will highlight the key aspects of the 18-month Eliminating Barriers and Building on Successes (EBBS) ADR training that was developed in the South West ministry region of Ontario for frontline Children’s Aid staff and supervisors. The training that was delivered at seven Children’s Aid Societies focused on skill development and knowledge dissemination to help the frontline worker differentiate between the three legislated Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes (FGC, mediation, and Aboriginal approaches). Training also emphasized the importance of informing the family of the options and encouraging family input into the selection of which ADR process to apply. A number of training aids that were developed for this project will be shared: a training video, a chart differentiating the practices, and a guide to assist with selection. As well, extensive research was conducted, and the results and lessons learned will be shared. My New Life: The Hopes and Challenges of an Immigrant Family TRACK 5 Culture, Privilege, Bias and Power LEVEL Inshirah Hassabu and Jennie Campbell, The George Hull Centre, FGC Project of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada This workshop will share testimonials from families on how FGC helped generate awareness and understanding of their cultural needs, bridging the gap between them and child protection agencies in Toronto. The workshop will also discuss the strategies and resources used in the process, and how collaborative work on all levels paved the way for major legislative change in Ontario Family Law. Intermediate Family Power and Agency Responsibility: Does This Relationship Really Exist in the Child Welfare World? TRACK 6 Aboriginal Practices LEVEL Intermediate Elizabeth Perry, Dauphin Friendship Centre; and Lisa Monych, Metis Child, Family and Community Services, Dauphin, MB, Canada This workshop explores the challenges of working within a new framework that says that families have the power to make decisions regarding their children, and recognizes that workers and agencies have a responsibility that is governed by a child welfare mandate. With agency responsibility, there will be a sense of power that is driven by personal culture, privilege and bias that guide agencies and workers who are working with families. FGDM recognizes that Aboriginal families face many challenges, both systemically and personally, and this workshop seeks to provide a forum that balances family power and agency responsibility. Historically, Aboriginal families have been affected by the residential school and the child welfare system that has greatly impacted their culture, privilege, bias and power. Today, families still lack confidence in the child welfare system, which is evident by the high rate of Aboriginal children in care that continues to increase. It is imperative that the FGDM coordinator and the child welfare agency be aware of their own culture and power when working with families, but more importantly, that the workers recognize a family’s lack of power that places that family at a disadvantage. 1 st Canadian Conference for Family Group Conferencing 13
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PROGRAM GUIDE - American Humane Association

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