How We Help

Youth wearing glasses smiling and looking into distance

Brittany, Child and Youth Care Worker, advocate, artist, former youth in care, and former Foundation Young People's Advisory Council member

Helping young people thrive

We create access to the tools and resources young people need to build a future of their own unstoppable success. Together with our national network of donors, partners, and child- and youth-serving organizations, we raise and grant funds and deliver a wide range of programs and services.

 

How We Help

Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is the only national foundation exclusively dedicated to improving outcomes for children, youth, and families impacted by the child welfare system.

The child welfare system is designed to protect children from immediate harm. But too many young people leave care without the support, stability, and opportunities they need to thrive. At CAFC, we believe every young person deserves more than survival. They deserve the chance to heal, grow, and build a future filled with possibilities.

That’s why we focus on the barriers young people have told us matter most to their well-being and long-term success.

 

How We Create Change

We work with organizations in different ways depending on the opportunity and intended outcomes, including:

Supporting and scaling programs with demonstrated impact
Co-designing initiatives with partners and funders to address emerging needs
Providing grants that strengthen supports for children, youth, and families

All partnerships and funding opportunities are assessed based on alignment with our strategic priorities and intended impacts for children, youth, and families.

How We Work Together

How We Work Together

Grantmaking

Donor support helps address urgent and unmet needs facing children, youth, and families involved in the child welfare system.

Through targeted grants, we invest in child welfare agencies that deliver programs, services, and supports to children and families in their communities. We prioritize partners with deep community connections, measurable impact, and the ability to deliver meaningful results.

Our grantees include organizations working directly with children, youth, and families in communities across Canada. All funding relationships are aligned to our intended impact areas and designed to create measurable outcomes.

Partnership and Innovation

We work alongside strategic investors and partners to strengthen, grow, and scale solutions that improve outcomes for children and youth across Canada.

This includes:

Scaling proven, evidence-informed programs
Co-designing new initiatives to address emerging needs
Investing in innovation through our ventures to test and grow promising approaches

By sharing insights, evidence, and learnings across sectors, we help identify what works and expand the solutions with the greatest potential for lasting change.

 

Who we work with
We work with 93 child- and youth-serving agencies in nearly every province and territory of Canada.
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Our Four Focus Areas
With programs and funds centred around our four focus areas we support more than 14,579 children and youth each year.
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Publications and financials
Access our publications and reports to learn more about how we’re helping to change the lives of children and youth involved with the child welfare system.
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