FRA message from our leadership
For Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, 2023 was a year of ambitions realized. In year four of our five-year strategic plan, we accomplished major milestones, welcomed exciting opportunities, and expanded our impact across the country, bringing us closer to a future where all families, children, and young people involved with the child welfare system live meaningful lives and thrive.
In 2023, we surpassed our Stand Up For Kids: Futures Transformed Campaign goal of $75 million – and promptly extended the fundraising target to $100 million to build on our momentum.
With the generous support of our donors, we established a total of 114 partnerships with child-and-youth serving organizations and strengthened our relationships with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous led and serving organizations in Manitoba. In 2023 we supported 3,021 families at risk, 8,163 children and youth in care, and 4,889 youth transitioning out of care across Canada.
Together with a national advisory of experts, young people, and educators, we reimagined our national Post-Secondary Education (PSE) Program to ensure no youth from care is limited by financial barriers or other obstacles to accessing higher education.
Using an evidence-informed approach, our Safe at Home project aims to respond to the alarming increase in children’s exposure to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in Canada, declared an epidemic by nearly 100 municipalities in Ontario. The project expanded to five new program sites in Ontario and Manitoba, adding one Indigenous partner, and is scaling access to urgently needed supports for children and families.
Our commitment to addressing the systemic issues causing the overrepresentation of Indigenous children and families in child welfare was at the heart of the 2023 Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Gala – Teddy Bear Affair. Produced in collaboration with our colleagues at Native Child and Family Services Toronto (NCFST), it was a celebration of Indigenous cultures and honoured the resilience of young people through the lens of Indigenous futurism – an artistic movement that imagines what an Indigenous future might look like. The Right Honorable Paul Martin, and Indigenous children’s rights advocate, Dr. Cindy Blackstock were this year’s Honourary Chairs and shared messages of hope and calls for action by Canadians to advocate for better outcomes for Indigenous children and communities.
Reflecting our commitment to elevate the voices of young people with lived experience of child welfare, we launched ‘A Safe Plate: Recipes and Stories of Young People from Child Welfare’ – a free digital cookbook celebrating youth across the country that generated considerable media interest, including features on CBC, Global News, and the Winnipeg Free Press.
As we look ahead to the final year of our strategic plan, we remain focused on expanding our impact nationally so we can serve more families, children, and youth in care. By continuing to build a coalition of community members, donors, allies, and lived experts, we hope to further position the Foundation as Canada’s leading philanthropic voice advocating for better outcomes within the child welfare system.
This work is only possible with the support, dedication, and determination of our invaluable community, including the incredible members of our Young People’s Advisory Council (YPAC) which includes representatives across Canada, our committed Board of Directors and Committee Members, and the Futures Transformed Campaign Cabinet – thank you for your guidance and leadership.
We remain ever grateful to our founding partner, Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, for continuing to guide and inform our work and strategic direction. To our partners at NCFST, General Child and Family Services Authority in Manitoba, Land and People Planning and many other Indigenous-led organizations, thank you for your dedicated efforts to deepen our impact on Indigenous families and children across Canada.
To Aaron Zifkin and Jeremy Walker, both of whom retired from their roles on the Board of Directors this year, we extend our deepest gratitude for your hard work and dedication to our cause.
And most importantly, we want to thank YOU – our donors, supporters, and champions. Your contributions to this important work enable us to effect meaningful, lasting change. On behalf of our Foundation team, thank you for your determination to help us improve the lives of families, children, and youth in care.
Warmly,
Valerie & Dan
Our Stand Up for Kids: Futures Transformed Campaign is rallying people across Canada to help children and youth in child welfare go from surviving to thriving and empower them to break the cycle of abuse and neglect.
In November 2023, we launched 
WomenIGNITE is a community of influential and philanthropic women who believe every child deserves the opportunity to find their spark and thrive regardless of their circumstances.
An unforgettable evening of fun and philanthropy, the 37th Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada Gala – Teddy Bear Affair lived up to its promise as a celebration of Indigenous culture, honouring the resilience and experiences of young people from the child welfare system.
