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Jeffrey Schiffer steps into the role of President and CEO at a moment of both strength and possibility for the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada (CAFC). With a national community of donors and a network of over 100 partner organizations across Canada, Jeff is focused on building upon the Foundation’s enduring legacy and decades of experience meeting the urgent and immediate needs of young people with experience in the child welfare system, while leveraging this knowledge to drive innovative partnerships for lasting change.
In his first interview since taking the helm, in conversation with Yuan Stevens, CAFC’s Senior Manager of External Relations and a founding member of the Foundation’s Young People’s Advisory Council, Jeff shares why he said yes, the urgency facing young people connected to care today, and the practical, partnership and donor-driven work underway to strengthen outcomes and ignite a brighter future for young people in and from care.
When Jeff Schiffer became President and CEO of Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada (CAFC), it wasn’t simply a career decision. “This work is personal for me. My mother and other members of my family spent time in the child welfare system. I’ve seen the way that impacts families.”
He’s seen firsthand how those experiences shape families and what it looks like to move beyond them. He also brings more than 15 years’ experience advancing innovation and measurable outcomes for children, youth, and families, including leading one of Canada’s largest Indigenous child and family service organizations. His work has consistently focused on bringing people, evidence, and partnerships together to drive meaningful change.
That combination of personal connection and professional experience gives Jeff a clear sense of what is at stake for children, youth, and families involved with the child welfare system today. 61,000 children across Canada are living in out-of-home care. For many young people in and transitioning out of care, instability and gaps in support can have lifelong impacts, affecting their mental health, education, employment, relationships, and sense of belonging and connection. This includes the unrealistic expectation that turning 18 means being prepared to become fully independent, an experience that accelerates adulthood and detracts from the simple joys of youth and self-discovery as young people switch into survival mode.
Stability and belonging cannot wait. Every delay is a missed milestone with respect to education, employment, mental health support, and stable relationships.”
For Jeff, meeting immediate needs is key. For over 45 years, CAFC has worked alongside its network of child welfare and community-based partners to do exactly that. This important and ongoing work has been made possible by our generous donors who share the belief that all children and youth deserve an equal opportunity to thrive.
Today, CAFC is building on that foundation by leveraging years of experience responding directly to urgent needs across mental health, education, employment, and lifelong relationships and connections for young people in and from care. Through its national network of child welfare and community-based partners, CAFC has a unique view into where systems are succeeding, where gaps persist, and which approaches are making the greatest difference. That insight allows the Foundation to help drive more coordinated, long-term, and outcomes-focused systems of support for young people.
“What drew me to the Foundation is that we have the opportunity to do both of those things. We can meet immediate needs today while driving the production of better systems for tomorrow. This Foundation is uniquely positioned to connect partners, identify what works, and help scale approaches that improve outcomes for young people.”
Through CAFC’s national programs and ventures, the Foundation is building evidence-informed models of care that can be replicated and scaled to create stronger and more lasting outcomes for children and youth from care for generations to come.
What emerges from this conversation is leadership grounded in a vision to work alongside donors who power the Foundation’s efforts to address urgent needs, while connecting organizations across sectors to close gaps and achieve better outcomes for young people in and from care.
“The leaders, innovators, and community builders of tomorrow are already here. Investing in them is the best action we can take.”
Watch the full video above.
