The Collective of Child Welfare Survivors
The Collective of Child Welfare Survivors (“CCWS”) is a grassroots organization that provides various support for child welfare survivors between the ages 15-25 years old, particularly Black, Indigenous, and racialized individuals as well as their families.
CCWS currently works in partnership with the Black Legal Action Centre (“BLAC”) and other critical partners related to the child welfare experience.
CCWS’ main pillars are systemic organizing, community development, and one-on-one individual intervention and advocacy.
We ground the work we do under our main pillars in the principles of critical youth-centering, decolonization, and addressing anti-Black racism. Most persons seeking support (“PSS”) are Black, Indigenous, and racialized people.
CCWS is not and will never affiliate with a child protection agency, including with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. Child protection agencies have no partnership or involvement with CCWS other than referring children, youth, and families/carers for individual advocacy support
or programming.
Child protection employees are not volunteers or employees of CCWS.
Services
We offer services and support in:
Individual Advocacy
CCWS provides individual advocacy support for children and youth, primarily Black, Indigenous, and racialized, as well as their families who are involved with or have been involved with child protection services or child welfare in Ontario.
Systemic Organizing
We consider systemic organizing to be any kind of public advocacy, campaign, or organizing effort to address a systemic issue collectively impacting child welfare survivors.
Community Development
We focus on creating educational and healing spaces that deal with a range of topics for child welfare survivors, primarily Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth between the ages of 12-25.
Interested in working with CCWS?
CCWS is now accepting applications for volunteers and placement students on a rolling basis. See below for more information.
The Collective of Child Welfare Survivors
Who We Are
The Collective of Child Welfare Survivors (“CCWS”) is a grassroots organization that provides various support for child welfare survivors between the ages 15-25 years old, particularly Black, Indigenous, and racialized individuals as well as their families.
CCWS currently works in partnership with the Black Legal Action Centre (“BLAC”) and other critical partners related to the child welfare experience.
CCWS’ main pillars are systemic organizing, community development, and one-on-one individual intervention and advocacy.
We ground the work we do under our main pillars in the principles of critical youth-centering, decolonization, and addressing anti-Black racism. Most persons seeking support (“PSS”) are Black, Indigenous, and racialized people.
CCWS is not and will never affiliate with a child protection agency, including with the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. Child protection agencies have no partnership or involvement with CCWS other than referring children, youth, and families/carers for individual advocacy support or programming.
Child protection employees are not volunteers or employees of CCWS.
Services
Individual Advocacy
CCWS provides individual advocacy support for children and youth, primarily Black, Indigenous, and racialized, as well as their families who are involved with or have been involved with child protection services or child welfare in Ontario.
Systemic Advocacy
We consider systemic organizing to be any kind of public advocacy, campaign, or organizing effort to address a systemic issue collectively impacting child welfare survivors.
Community Development
We focus on creating educational and healing spaces that deal with a range of topics for child welfare survivors, primarily Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth between the ages of 12-25.
Interested in working with CCWS?
CCWS is now accepting applications for volunteers and placement students on a rolling basis. See below for more information.