Anti-Black Racism

Hamilton Child and Family Supports is committed to equity and inclusion and we continue our work to centre equity in our service to families in the Hamilton community and within our organization.

We have made progress on our journey, but we still have lots of work to do. We want to continue to support this work as local and global events unfold in relation to anti-Black and systemic racism.

HCFS recognizes that Black children and families are overrepresented in the child welfare system, including at our agency, and we are committed, now more than ever, to reduce this overrepresentation. We also acknowledge that when Black children do come into care, there can be disparities of service. We have been active in the implementation plan of the Race Equity Framework of One Vision One Voice, a remarkable initiative through the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) that was formed in consultation with African Canadian communities across the province.

In particular, One Vision One Voice has allowed us to better understand the needs of Black children, youth and families and the challenges faced with the child welfare system. Youth regularly attend the Power Up! Symposium, the first gathering of its kind in Ontario that brings together the voices of Black youth involved in the Ontario child welfare system. The experiences shared by these courageous youth have better informed our services and our plans to reduce disparities of service.

There is much work to be done in addressing anti-Black racism and we welcome opportunities to work and learn within the Black community of Hamilton so that we may better serve Black children, youth and families.

Our approach is about fostering a deep understanding and awareness of the impact of Anti-Black Racism. By equipping our internal teams with tools and knowledge to confront these challenges, we aim to identify systemic barriers in our work and provide service that leads to better outcomes for Black families.

Our focus externally is on building and stewarding relationships with Black-serving community organizations and professionals who bridge the gap between our organization’s service delivery and the range of supports families need to resource themselves and keep their children and youth safe. Through this community engagement, our goal is to connect Black families with trusted networks from and within their own respective communities.