Portfolio
Here are some of the assignments and projects I’ve worked on throughout my CYC program. These are a few examples of what I’ve learned and the work I’ve completed along the way.
GC&E #5 Identify and challenge unjust practices in local and global systems
Step 1: Identify an Unjust Practice:
Step 2: Provide a Summary
In this article from University of Toronto, researchers examine why Black children and families are overrepresented in Ontario’s child welfare system and how families engage with child welfare services in Ontario more than white families. The University of Toronto wanted to understand the causes behind black families engaging with child welfare so frequently. The findings concluded that racism, discrimination, and child welfare processes were some of the leading causes. According to the article, 14% of child welfare investigations involve Black children even though they make up only 7% of the population (Easton, 2025). During the research, they interviewed child welfare workers and discovered that families were reported to child welfare because they were encountering hardships like shelter and food insecurities and were reported instead of being offered the necessary services to help them with their hardship. Bias also plays a role within the article. Cultural misconceptions on how parents should care for their children can cause the welfare system to make inequitable decisions (Easton, 2025). Prejudice was the most prominent injustice throughout the article. Black families are not receiving equal treatment compared to other families. Changes the researchers suggest are implementing ways to identify welfare worker’s biases, offering more support to families, and changing systems to help eliminate the scrutiny of Black families.
Easton, M. (2025, March 27). Researchers probe over-representation of Black families in Ontario's child welfare system. University of Toronto. https://www.utoronto.ca/news/researchers-probe-over-representation-black-families-ontario-s-child-welfare-system
Part 2: Research on Existing Interventions
Step 1: Identify a Person or Organization
One Vision One Voice (OVOV)
Step 2: Provide a Summary
One Vision One Voice (OVOV) is an Ontario-based organization dedicated to improving the child welfare system for Black children, youth, and families. OVOV was founded in 2015 when community members recognized how Black families were being overrepresented in the child welfare system. The organization formed to address anti-Black racism and created strategies to ensure Black families received equitable and respectful treatment within the child welfare system when accessing supports and services. The organization partners with Children's Aid Societies throughout Ontario to ensure agencies are providing the best support for Black families. Some strategies include education surrounding anti-Black racism with front-line workers, sharing promising practices when working with Black children and families, and encouraging agencies to create trusting relationships with Black communities. OVOV also advocates with government officials and other organizations to review policies and systemically improve the child welfare system. Research also plays a key role in the organization's strategy as they review current practices and discover ways to enhance the wellbeing of Black children and families within the child welfare system.
Step 3: Analyze their Strategies and Actions
One Vision One Voice (OVOV), implements several methods in hopes of decreasing the disproportionate representation of Black families entering the child welfare system. Some of these methods include anti-Black racism training, conducting research, collecting data, advocating for provincial policy change, building connections with Black communities and supporting Black child welfare professionals. OVOV aims to work on various levels of the problem they are addressing. Educating child welfare workers on the experiences of Black families and encouraging the exploration of personal biases allows workers to better understand how to assist Black families who come to them for support. Building relationships with Children’s Aid and Black communities works to restore relationships that have been broken due to unjust negative encounters with CAS. By pushing for provincial policy shifts and improvements across the entire child welfare system, OVOV can ignite change at a wider level. This work has led to noticeable progress for One Vision One Voice. Many of their recommendations and practices have been implemented throughout CAS in Ontario. The Ontario government continues to support OVOV by providing them with the funds they need to continue their research and betterment of the child welfare system. One Vision One Voice is on a path to create a child welfare system that welcomes and supports Black children, youth, and families.
Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies. (n.d.). One Vision One Voice. https://www.oacas.org/programs-and-resources/onevisiononevoice-2/
References
Easton, M. (2025, March 27). Researchers probe over-representation of Black families in Ontario's child welfare system. University of Toronto. https://www.utoronto.ca/news/researchers-probe-over-representation-black-families-ontario-s-child-welfare-system
Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies. (n.d.). One Vision One Voice. https://www.oacas.org/programs-and-resources/onevisiononevoice-2/
Social Location Assignment
Before this assignment, I never really stopped to think about how my own background shapes the way I see the world. Looking at my social location helped me realize that everyone brings their own experiences, values, and biases into their work, whether they realize it or not. My age, race, education, family life, and where I grew up have all influenced who I am today and how I interact with other people.
One of the biggest parts of my social location is being a mother. Having a daughter has taught me patience, empathy, and how important it is for children to feel safe, loved, and supported. Because of this, I naturally connect with children and understand some of the challenges parents face. At the same time, I have to remember that every family is different. Just because something works for my family doesn't mean it will work for someone else's. Every family has different values, cultures, and experiences, so it's important that I don't make assumptions based on my own life.
Growing up in a rural community has definitely shaped who I am. I was raised in a close-knit environment where people helped each other and knew their neighbours. While I appreciate those values, I also know that people growing up in cities or different communities may have completely different experiences. As a future Child and Youth Care Practitioner, I need to be open to learning from those differences instead of assuming everyone has had a similar upbringing. I also recognize that being Caucasian, middle class, physically able, and a Canadian citizen has given me privileges that not everyone has. I haven't had to face barriers related to racism, citizenship, or physical accessibility in the same way that other people have. Recognizing these privileges reminds me that everyone has a different story, and I need to listen without judgment.
Empathy and Understanding
One of the biggest things I took away from this week's lesson is that there's always more to someone's story than what you can see. Before learning about social location, it would've been easy to make assumptions about why someone behaves a certain way. Now I realize there could be so many reasons behind it that I know nothing about. For example, if a child is always tired at school or keeps missing class, it's easy to think they just don't care. But after learning about social location, I know there could be so much more going on. Maybe they're dealing with things at home, maybe money is tight, maybe they don't have transportation, or maybe they're taking care of younger siblings. You really don't know until you take the time to understand their situation instead of jumping to conclusions. That's something we talked about this week with the example of Maria and looking beyond the behaviour to understand the barriers she was facing (Centennial College, 2026). I think that's where empathy comes in. It's about trying to understand someone else's experience instead of looking at everything through your own perspective. If children and families feel like they're being listened to instead of judged, they're much more likely to trust you. Building those relationships is one of the most important parts of Child and Youth Care.
Cultural Competence
One thing that stood out to me this week was the idea of cultural humility. I liked learning that cultural humility is really about understanding that you'll never know everything. It's about continuing to learn, reflecting on your own beliefs, and being open to other people's experiences. Even though I'm not religious, I know I'll work with children and families whose faith or culture is a big part of who they are. Instead of comparing their beliefs to my own, I want to respect what is important to them and support them in a way that makes them feel comfortable. The same goes for culture, race, and language. I think one of the most important things I can do is ask questions respectfully, stay open-minded, and continue learning throughout my career. This week's lesson also talked about reflective practice, and I think that's something I'll always need to work on. Taking time to reflect on my own beliefs and biases will help me become a better practitioner and make sure I'm providing respectful, client-centred care instead of letting my own experiences influence my decisions.
Advocacy and Empowerment
Another thing I learned this week is that part of being a Child and Youth Care Practitioner is speaking up for children and families who might not always have a voice. Learning about privilege and social location made me realize that everyone's starting point is different, and that's something I always want to keep in mind when I'm supporting children and families. Some families face barriers because of money, racism, language, disability, or where they live. Instead of blaming people for those challenges, I think it's important to understand what's causing them and help families find the support they need. I want to be someone who helps children and families recognize their strengths instead of only focusing on what they're struggling with. Sometimes people just need someone to believe in them and help them find the right supports. I also know that being an advocate means continuing to learn. There will always be new things to understand and different perspectives to hear. I don't ever want to think I know everything. I want to keep growing throughout my career so I can support people in the best way possible.
Conclusion
This assignment really made me stop and think about who I am and how my own experiences have shaped me. Before this week, I didn't realize how much my upbringing, family, education, and life experiences influence the way I see the world. It also reminded me that everyone has their own story. Just because someone's life looks different from mine doesn't mean it's wrong, it just means they've had different experiences. As a future Child and Youth Care Practitioner, I want to keep being open-minded, reflect on my own biases, and continue learning from the people I work with. At the end of the day, I want every child, youth, and family I work with to feel respected, supported, and accepted for who they are. I know I'll never stop learning, and I think that's one of the most important parts of becoming a good CYC professional.
Child Trauma – Reflection Paper
For this reflection, I chose the About Child Trauma page from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). I picked this website because trauma is something we are going to see a lot as Child and Youth Care Practitioners. I wanted to learn more about what trauma actually is, how it affects kids, and how we can better support them. I already knew trauma could have a big impact on children, but after reading this website, I realized there's a lot more to it than I thought.
Summary
One of the biggest things I learned is that trauma isn't just one specific event. It can be anything that's scary, dangerous, or violent and makes a child feel like they aren't safe (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.). Something that really stood out to me was that a child doesn't even have to be the one getting hurt. Just seeing something happen to someone they love can be traumatic too, especially for younger kids because they depend on their parents or caregivers to feel safe (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.).
The website listed a lot of different things that can cause trauma, and I didn't realize the list would be so long. It talked about things like abuse, neglect, family violence, school shootings, natural disasters, racism, losing a loved one, serious accidents, substance use in the family, war, and even being separated from family because of immigration or someone going to jail (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.). Reading through all of those examples made me realize that trauma can happen in so many different ways, and it's probably way more common than people think.
I also learned about child traumatic stress. Not every child who goes through something traumatic will develop it, but children who have been exposed to several traumatic events are more likely to have it. For some kids, the effects don't just go away after the event is over. They might struggle with anxiety, depression, nightmares, sleeping, and controlling their emotions. Some kids might become really angry, 3 while others completely shut down. Older youth might even start using drugs or alcohol or make risky choices as a way of coping (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.).
The part that surprised me the most was learning about trauma reminders. I never really thought about how something small like a place, a smell, a certain date, or even a feeling could bring back memories of something traumatic. It made me realize why a child might seem perfectly fine one minute and then suddenly become upset without anyone understanding why. I also liked that the website talked about protective factors. It explained that having supportive adults, a caring family, and a strong community can help children recover (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.). It reminded me that even though we can't erase what happened to a child, we can still make a positive difference in how they move forward.
Why This Matters for CYCPs
I think this is something every Child and Youth Care Practitioner needs to understand. We work with kids every day, and chances are a lot of them have experienced some kind of trauma, whether we know about it or not. One thing I'll definitely remember is that behaviour usually has a reason behind it. If a child is yelling, refusing to participate, or getting angry really quickly, it doesn't automatically mean they're being difficult. There could be something much deeper going on. Instead of getting frustrated, we should try to understand what's causing the behaviour in the first place. I also think this connects really well with building relationships. Kids need adults they can trust, especially after going through something traumatic. Sometimes just being calm, patient, and consistent can make a bigger difference than we realize.
My Reflection
This website honestly made me think about children's behaviour differently. Before reading it, I knew trauma could affect kids, but I didn't realize how many different situations could be considered 4 traumatic or how long those experiences could stay with them (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, n.d.). The part about trauma reminders really stuck with me. It made me realize that we don't always know what's going through someone else's mind. A child might react to something that seems completely normal to everyone else, but for them it's connected to a really difficult memory. It also reminded me not to judge kids too quickly. It's easy to look at behaviour without thinking about what's behind it. After reading this, I think it's more important to ask myself what might have happened to that child instead of immediately assuming they're just acting out.
How I Can Use This
I can definitely use what I learned during placement and in my future career. If I notice a child getting really upset over something that seems small, I won't automatically think they're overreacting. I'll remember that there could be something triggering that response. For example, if I was working in a school and a student suddenly became angry after hearing people yelling in the hallway, I would try to calmly check in with them instead of immediately giving consequences. Maybe yelling reminds them of violence at home. I obviously wouldn't know for sure, but keeping trauma in the back of my mind would help me respond in a more supportive way. I also think creating routines and making kids feel safe is really important. Even simple things like keeping your word, staying calm, and being someone they can trust can help children feel more secure.
When and Who I Would Use This With
I think I'll use this information no matter where I end up working. Whether it's in a school, group home, residential program, or community agency, I'll probably work with children or youth who have experienced trauma. I would also use this knowledge when talking with parents, teachers, social workers, or other staff. Understanding trauma can help everyone work together and support the child in the same way instead of focusing only on their behaviour.
Final Thoughts
This website really opened my eyes to how common trauma is and how differently every child can respond to it. One thing I kept thinking while I was reading was that we never really know what someone has been through. As future CYC workers, I think that's something we always need to remember. This also connected to things we've talked about in class, especially attachment and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory. The website talked a lot about how important caregivers, families, and communities are when it comes to helping children recover after trauma, which fits really well with those theories. Overall, I'm glad I picked this resource because it gave me a better understanding of trauma and reminded me that sometimes the biggest thing we can do for a child is simply make them feel safe, heard, and supported.