One Vision One Voice

We’re sharing an opportunity from research partners at the University of Ottawa inviting Black parents to participate in a study exploring parenting and interactions with the child welfare system.

If you are a parent of a Black child aged 2–12 living in Canada, your voice can help strengthen understanding of Black parenting experiences and realities.

Scan the QR code in the poster to learn more and participate.

OVOV is honoured to have joined the CWICE and larger OACAS teams to present “Bridging Borders and Barriers: Advancing Equitable Child Welfare Through Immigration-Informed and Anti-Racist Practice” at this year’s . Together, we continue to advocate for systems that centre dignity and equity for all children, youth and families.

OVOV is excited to share an event hosted by the Kujipenda Cultural Centre.

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Invitation to Empower: Tallawah: Youth Conference

Join us for the Tallawah Youth Conference on March 28, 2025 which aims to provide and create opportunities for youth to engage in skills for personal growth, cultivate community action, engage in leadership to foster confidence, as well as create a safe space for their strengths to be utilized within the activities of the conference. Through your engagement, we extend this invitation to the many youth within the Durham region!

Purpose

The conference will aim to inspire and empower Durham Youth to engage in many meaningful conversations pertinent to their lives and community. These conversations will be initiated by the youth, as well as many empowering youth voices, including community leaders and keynote speakers. With much uncertainty for the future of the youth population, we want to use this opportunity to discuss the challenges youth may face on a day-to-day basis. These challenges may include a search for self-identity, mental health, and addictions, financial pressures, as well as many persistent conflicts within communities. Being youth-led, Ifarada: Center for Excellence and Kujipenda Cultural Center have collaborated for the organization of Tallawah Youth Conference, a Youth Leadership & Empowerment event.

Details

Date: March 28, 2025.

Location: Ajax Audley Community Centre, located on: 1955 Audley Road, Ajax, ON L1Z 0L2.

Target Audience: We are interested in opening up the space for youths ages 12-29 [i.e., grade 6 and up], including many youth leaders within schools and youth programs. We open the invitation to youth-led organizations and self-registered youth.

Meals will be catered and served to the attendees.

The event will include break out sessions, keynote presentations, cultural performances, and a youth vendor market. The vendor market will occur from 4pm to 6pm. Participating youth will receive a $20- voucher to purchase items from the vendor market.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out at [email protected] for more information.

As we approach the end of the 2024 calendar year, we reflect with deep gratitude and appreciation on the passion and dedication of our committees and community partners who advocate tirelessly for equitable outcomes in child welfare.

This year, OVOV made incredible strides:

• supporting the addition of identity-centred language to the Eligibility Spectrum
• facilitating anti-Black racism knowledge-building sessions for child welfare workers and partners across systems
• developing the Kujali: Caring for Black Children - Training for Foster Caregivers in partnership with the MCCSS
• amplifying youth voices via OVOV's Youth Action Committee
• liaising with community voices and knowledge holders across systems to share key priorities and best practices

OVOV also wrapped up the first phase of the Mapping Disparities for Black Families project, and we look forward to sharing key findings from this project with all of you in the new year. None of this work could have been done without your input and support.

We wish you a restful, happy holiday season and look forward to continuing the work with you all again in the new year.

Be well,

The OVOV team