Caption: On September 30th, 2023, members of the CASDSM Committee of Anti-Oppressive Practice, along with other staff, showed their support for the annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Working with vulnerable children, youth, and families requires our organization to be aware of the effects we have on individuals, and the community. The child welfare system has historically played a role in reinforcing inequities among families and children, especially Indigenous and racialized peoples. To fulfill our mandate to protect children and youth from abuse and neglect, we must continually work together to create a safe space for children, youth, and families. The work that we do to protect children cannot be done without an anti-oppression perspective that upholds the identities of those we work with.
The history of inequality led to a deep period of reflection and action amongst all Children’s Aid Societies, including the Children’s Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin. Anti-oppressive practice is something that we must all work on together to address any inequalities in our daily work. In our agency, the formation of the Committee of Anti-Oppressive Practice plays an important role in facilitating our mandate and our commitment to anti-oppressive practices. The committee helps us centre anti-oppression and make it a part of our everyday lives and interactions.
How The Anti-Oppressive Practice Committee Began
In 2012, the Children’s Aid Society of the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin established an Anti-Oppressive Practice Committee that serves as a formal forum within which equity-related issues in our local organization can be discussed. With the creation of the committee, our employees are now able to come together to discuss the issues that impact our community and the people we work with.
Changing the OACAS Narrative Surrounding Child Welfare
Discussions of the importance of anti-oppressive practices in Children’s Aid Societies evolved from a 2004 round table that led to the development of a diversity training curriculum for frontline staff. It was quickly discovered that focusing only on diversity training was not enough to address inequality within the child welfare system. This training highlighted the need for increased awareness, training, and support to bring anti-oppressive practices into provincial child welfare organizations. In subsequent years, multiple studies and resources have been created to help integrate anti-oppressive practices in all children’s aid societies across Ontario.
Miranda Maunsell, the Chair of the CASDSM Anti-Oppressive Practice Committee, says, “Anti-oppression is not just part of the work we do. It is the work. You cannot work in child welfare and not centre anti-oppression.”
Our Local Impact
Our committee addresses more than just the historical inequity from child welfare agencies; we look to the current issues facing our community today and work together to create action. Our work helps influence the organization’s policies, training, and service delivery. Our committee creates a local impact by advising on current policies and providing feedback from an anti-oppressive perspective, advocating for new training programs, and working to ensure our services are delivered in a manner that respects the individuals we work with.
Learn more about our organization’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Challenges and Evolution of the Work
Working in the child welfare sector requires us to integrate anti-oppression into everything we do as an organization, a committee, and as individuals in our day-to-day personal and professional lives, we are continuously learning and striving to become more equitable through anti-oppressive practices. This does not come without challenges; as the needs of those we serve evolve, so do our practices and our actions.
Success, & Looking Ahead
Over the years, the CASDSM Anti-Oppressive Practice Committee has worked incredibly hard to evolve meaningful practices that benefit children, youth, and families in our community. These will be enhanced by soon-to-be-introduced tools that will further assist our staff in reflecting, assessing, re-evaluating, and creating action plans that are grounded in anti-oppressive practices.
The CASDSM Committee for Anti-Oppressive Practice is built upon our collective effort to increase awareness about and reinforce the critical importance of equity-related actions within our community and organization. We are mindful of the impacts of our actions and how these contribute to the immediate and longer-term wellbeing of vulnerable children, youth, and families. The work of our committee is ongoing and compels us to continue our mission within our organization and within our community.
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