Latest News
Indigenous Youth Tech Career Pathways Program
In collaboration with Indigenous Friends and Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, NPower Canada is offering a 15-week tech training program for Indigenous young adults.
NPower Canada launches under-served young adults into meaningful and sustainable careers in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field. The Indigenous Youth Tech Career Pathways (IYTCP) program provides Indigenous young adults (18-29 years old) with enhanced wraparound services and Elder-led counselling to support their successful completion of the NPower Canada program and their transition into meaningful employment in the tech sector.
To apply, contact Emily Hill, Education and Employment Case Manager, at [email protected], (416) 969-8510 ext. 4146, or (437) 237-4826.
For more details, read the PDF linked below:
NPowerCanada-IYCP_Info Sheet_v3
Lyme Disease Awareness and Safety
As the weather begins to warm up and more people begin to venture outside, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto wants to help ensure that our community stays safe from Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is a growing public health issue in Canada. Spread by the bite of infected blacklegged ticks, Lyme disease can cause serious health issues if left untreated. While the risk varies across the country, everyone should be aware of steps they can take to protect themselves, their children and their families from tick bites.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has created a collection of Lyme disease resources for communities, including information on how to check for ticks and how to protect yourself and your family from Lyme disease.
For more information about Lyme disease, visit the Government of Canada’s Lyme disease webpage.
Statement RE: Summer Camps 2020
Hello Parents/Guardians and Campers,
I would like to take this opportunity to update you on our plans for Summer Camps 2020. As you are aware, the current COVID -19 pandemic has caused severe disruptions in all of our lives and may have serious implications in how we can move forward in regard to camps this year.
It is our hope that we will continue to be able to provide our traditional face-to-face camps this year. We are assertively lobbying the government to open the parks within Toronto to allow us to offer essential on-the-land programming to our community. In the event we are unable to offer face-to-face camps, we have been working hard to find creative ways to still present camp programming.
Over the past month, we have been meeting and planning an online “Virtual Camp” experience. Families would be able to register for camps online and would be emailed directions to log on to both interactive and pre-recorded programming.
We are committed to providing cultural learning opportunities, fun and interactive activities and to staying connected as a camp community! Please complete this short survey to allow us to take your needs, ideas, questions, and feedback into consideration while developing our Virtual Camps.
Please note that we will keep the community updated regarding the type of camp programming experience we will be providing this summer.
We look forward to continuing to serve the community and hearing from each of you. Please check for updates in the coming weeks by visiting our Native Child and Family Services of Toronto website and social media accounts.
For questions, please send the Virtual Camps team an email at [email protected]
Sincerely,
Greg Flynn
Cultural Camp Supervisor
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto
Thank You to Our Partners
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) has been collaborating with community partners to provide essential services to Aboriginal families across Toronto. Working together with staff from Gabriel Dumont Non-Profit Homes, NCFST assembled and delivered several hampers to date for community members.
We want to extend our sincere thanks to all the community partners who are helping us provide services during these difficult times. Their support has been essential as we adapt our services to meet the rising need in our community.
A message to COVID-19 essential service professionals in Toronto
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) is a multi-service urban Aboriginal agency providing child safety and well-being, holistic, and culture-based programs and services for over 7,000 Aboriginal children and families across the Greater Toronto Area. We remain committed wherever possible to keep families together.
Our Concern
The number of calls being reported by community concerning child safety & well-being has plummeted
We are an Essential Service and Still Open to Serve 24 Hours, 7 Days a Week
Contact Us
A Message to Aboriginal Families of Toronto
It feels like Mother Earth just sent us all to our rooms……the Ontario government has ordered all non-essential businesses to shut down and the City of Toronto declared a state of emergency and instituted an emergency order regulating physical distancing. We find ourselves in unique and challenging times. More than ever we require the wisdom of our teachings and the strength of community. We have all been humbled by the circumstances in which we find ourselves – we are now a community at a distance. During this period of social distancing, we must be vigilant to stay connected with one another and support those who are most vulnerable just as we have always done in community since time immemorial.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives and when it is done we will have collectively experienced loss and hardship. We can navigate this crisis together as a community by keeping the circle strong. Native Child and Family Services of Toronto (NCFST) remains unwavering in our commitment to serving the community during this crisis and as such we have been classified as an essential service by the Province of Ontario.
We know that this is an extremely difficult time for community members. This crisis has created a challenging environment for many families. With the closures of schools, daycares, and other services, children are increasingly vulnerable to family stress. We want to reassure you that we remain open and can provide you with the support you and your family need. We offer a single point of access to an integrated network of programs and services designed to address the multiple and complex issues facing many Aboriginal families in Toronto. As a provider of essential services, NCFST is here to help.
If you and your family are struggling, please don’t wait to reach out for support. During a time of increased anxiety, children, youth and families need support and care more than ever. Additionally, should you have concerns for the safety or well-being of a child, or if you are a caregiver who requires support to keep your child safe, please call us at (416) 969-8510. We are also updating our website (www.staging.nativechild.org) regularly with all our holistic and cultural-based service offerings. In this time of crisis we all need to look out for vulnerable children and families to work together to keep kids safe and community healthy. Please continue to self-isolate, check in on each other and have a good weekend.