CWICE National Conference

Thanks to everyone who attended the conference on June 12, 2024 at the Pearson Convention Centre!

The Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence National Conference was an opportunity for cross-sector knowledge exchange and partnerships to enhance services for children, youth, and families.

Hundreds of attendees from the child welfare, immigration, and social services sectors came together to dive into the issues facing children, youth, and families.

Presentations included a panel of women with lived experience who shared their impactful stories of the immigration challenges they faced; Line Patry discussed survey data from IRCC about Canadians’ perceptions and attitudes toward immigration; and keynote speaker Debbie Douglas offered a passionate appeal for system change.

Attendees could choose from eight different workshop topics in the afternoon for a full and rewarding day of learning and connection. For all the event details, download the conference program.

Global Horizons in Child Welfare and Immigration: Bridging Borders and Building Futures

Participant Survey Results

100%

of attendees were satisfied with the quality of the speakers

99%

rated the overall experience positively

96%

learned something they would apply in their practice

An illustration of topics discussed at the conference

Conference Objectives

Ensure children, youth, and families' voice and lived experiences are centred in practice, policy, legislation, and research

Build awareness of the intersectional approach CWICE promotes in its service and training centre, and in its many partnerships.

Provide networking and professional development opportunities for professionals in child welfare, settlement, immigration, legal, education, and health service fields.

About CWICE

CWICE is a service and training centre recognized nationally for its leadership and innovation. A first-of-its-kind model, CWICE centres the intersection of child welfare with unresolved immigration, settlement, or border-related issues. CWICE is grounded in practice, to inform capacity building and research, and provides a unique structured provincial response to system navigation. CWICE promotes achieving equitable outcomes for all children, youth, and families receiving child welfare service, regardless of immigration status or geographical location within Canada. Launched in 2018, today CWICE operates an international consultation centre, participates in research across the country, and offers a national training program. Deemed a model of Ontario’s child welfare re-design, CWICE offers service to children, youth, and families across Ontario.

“The investment in the Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence is a part of Ontario's plan under the new child welfare redesign strategy to strengthen supports for children, youth, families and communities, and create a more efficient and sustainable child welfare system”

– Minister Jill Dunlop, former Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, 2020

Thank you to our sponsors and partners

Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies