Events

In our Events section you will find information on upcoming conferences, symposiums, forums and CWLC sponsored events.

Calendar of Events - Visit our new Calendar of Events for a complete listing of all events posted on our site. Now you can search by month and year!
National Teleconference Series
Recent CWLC Events

If you have an event you would like posted on our site please contact info@cwlc.ca.

We reserve the right to edit all postings and decline those we deem not of interest to our members.

Atlantic Canada Child Welfare Forum III

The third Atlantic Canada Child Welfare Forum was held on March 25th and 26th, 2010 at the Oak Island Inn & Resort in Chester, Nova Scotia. The Forum was supported by CWLC, the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare (CECW) and the governments of Atlantic Canada.

The theme for this year’s ACCWF III was New Approaches and Current Research on Differential Response & Risk Management. Guest speakers at this year's event were Dr. John Fluke from the American Humane Association and Dr. Aron Shlonsky from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto.

The Atlantic Canada Child Welfare Forum is an important opportunity for senior child welfare staff from all four provinces to engage in a formal planning and exchange opportunity. These child welfare systems experience similar challenges, demands and opportunities. The Forum serves as an effective mechanism to learn about the developmental work as well as build working relationships across provinces. The Forum also provides an opportunity to engage other key stakeholders including universities, other government departments and community organizations in knowledge and program development.

Visit the ACCWF III webpage and download the presentations.

Second National Invitational Symposium on Child and Youth Mental Health

On November 19 – 20, over 100 child and youth mental health stakeholders gathered at the Château Laurier in Ottawa for the 2nd National Invitational Symposium on Child and Youth Mental Health. Getting in the Right Door at the Right Time was the theme for a symposium that aimed to address access to mental health services for children, youth and their families.

In March 2007, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, a national body funded by the federal government arose out of recognition that Canada needed a national mental health strategy. Evergreen, a national mental health framework specific to children and youth is being developed as a guide for policy and program development. Former Senator the Honourable Michael Kirby, chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, stated a sentiment that has embedded itself into this initiative: the mental health of children and youth is essential to the overall well-being of Canadians. This is in light that

1 in 5 youth have a mental illness
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people
Less than 17 % of children and youth who require treatment actually receive it
70 % of adults with mental illnesses experience its onset in childhood/adolescence

Every child and youth deserves equal access to health care and resources.

The 2^nd National Symposium was a key step to the development and solidification of national partnerships and linkages. This National Symposium built on the existing network of partnerships focused on child and youth mental health, and progressed towards identifying next steps and plans of action that will inform Canada’s new mental health strategy.

National Invitational Symposium on Youth Illicit Substance Abuse and Justice System

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), in association with the Coalition on Community Safety, Health and Well-being, and in particular the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA), Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC), Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) and YOUCAN, along with support from Justice Canada, held another symposium, this time with a focus on substance abuse and youth justice.

The expected outcomes of the Symposium were to:

increase awareness in the justice community, social development sectors, governments and the public of the relationship between illicit substance abuse and youth crime and victimization;
help participants and Coalition members to modify their approach to working with youth who have illicit substance abuse problems; and
build momentum for addressing, through a holistic, multi-sectoral, long-term approach, the issues affecting youth with illicit substance abuse problems who are involved in the justice system.

Considered a success by all participants, a summation of the symposium's findings, as well as a full report of the event, is available to download.

Atlantic Canada Child Welfare Forum 2008

Co-hosted by CWLC and the Government of New Brunswick, Department of Social Development
The Forum was of interest to child welfare supervisors and administrators; policy and program staff; educators; mental health professionals and researchers. The annual goal is to bring together those interested in children's services to discuss ways to create an integrated approach to children's services in Atlantic Canada. Visit the ACCWF website for more information. Next year's event (2009) will take place in Newfoundland - dates to be announced.

National Invitational Symposium on Youth Justice Renewal

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP), working in partnership with the CWLC and on behalf of the Coalition on Community Safety, Health and Well-being, received funding from Justice Canada to hold the National Invitational Symposium on Youth Justice Renewal from 27-28 March 2008. This national consultation brought together representatives of police services and organizations involved in child welfare, education, youth services, health and mental health, corrections, recreation, Aboriginal youth services, youth engagement and victim advocacy. The symposium report compiles the views expressed by this diverse group of stakeholders and offers suggestions for consideration by Justice Canada in its current review of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Report on National Invitational Symposium on Youth Justice Renewal
Le rapport est aussi disponible en français.

More information is available in our Policy Initiatives section of the website.

National Invitational Symposium on Child and Youth Mental Health

The National Invitational Symposium on Child and Youth Mental Health was held over two days in Toronto and stakeholders from all across the country gathered to discuss the steps necessary to develop a national perspective on the key issues pertaining to child and youth mental health. The stakeholders also articulated views on the establishment of a Canadian child and youth mental health strategy.

The Symposium was the first opportunity to bring together interested parties, representing different areas of child and youth mental health, from across Canada and sharing in a common vision of the holistic health and well-being needs of young people with a commitment to putting such a vision into action. Another goal was to gain a better understanding of the current programs, research, activities and planning in provinces and territories that will better inform the national perspective.

Dr Stan Kutcher, Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health at Dalhousie University and the keynote speaker, has graciously agreed to share his presentation with the Symposium participants. You can download it by clicking here. The Symposium organizers would like you to complete an evaluation form to better assist us with future events - please click here. Finally, if you would like to suggest stakeholders who should be included in future events, send us an email.

United Nations Study on Violence Against Children

CWLC joined UNICEF Canada and the Canadian Council of Provincial Child and Youth Advocates to launch the joined forces on National Child Day to release the World Report on Violence Against Children and the Canadian youth voices report Seen, Heard and Believed: What Youth Say About Violence. UNICEF and the Child Welfare League of Canada also officially called on the Government of Canada to implement and act upon the recommendations of the World Report.

The United Nations' Secretary General Study on Violence Against Children, a global report on the forms, causes and impact of violence which affects children and young people (up to the age of 18 years), has been launched in North America. To coincide with the Geneva launch on November 20, 2006, which was National Child Day in Canada, UNICEF Canada and CWLC held a joint press conference to review some of the recommendations emerging from the report. Read the press release.

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