Indigenous

Urban Indigenous Children Deserve Equal Access to Child Care

Urban Indigenous Children Deserve Equal Access to Child Care

by | August 2023

Indigenous children thrive when they are proud of who they are and have access to their culture. But Indigenous children living in cities don’t currently have equal access to child care that meets those important cultural needs. Of the approximately 473,000 child care spaces currently in Ontario, 12,000 of those would need to be dedicated to urban Indigenous children to equitably match the population need. Currently, only about 2,000 spaces are in urban Indigenous child care sites – representing a staggering shortfall of nearly 10,000 spaces. With unprecedented federal investments being made through the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care (CWELCC) funding, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to right these inequities and invest in Indigenous children. Suze Morrison, Chief Engagement Officer for the Ontario Federation of Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC) explains how OMSSA Members can assist.

Building Partnerships and Innovative Programs to Expand EarlyON Child and Family Programs

Building Partnerships and Innovative Programs to Expand EarlyON Child and Family Programs

by | August 2023

Before the pandemic, York Region organized a “Think Tank session” with EarlyON agencies to evaluate current outdoor programming. They also recognized that their EarlyON educators, who were trained in Early Childhood Education (ECE), often did not have outdoor education or Indigenous cultural training to make the necessary changes to the curriculum development for outdoor program delivery. To address these concerns, the Region sought the advice of outdoor education and Indigenous worldview experts to help develop a new four-season outdoor program. Then, they partnered with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to support training and curriculum development, leading to the creation of the Walking Together Through the Four Seasons collaborative initiative. Kathy Lucky, the Manager of EarlyON Programs with York Region, explains how this program was developed to benefit the community.

Reflections on the 2023 Exchange Conference

Reflections on the 2023 Exchange Conference

by | June 2023

Held in Ottawa this past May, OMSSA’s 2023 Exchange Conference brought together more than 330 people for two days of learning, sharing, and connecting. It was a huge success! Over the one and a half days of the conference, attendees got to see many great examples of the excellence of OMSSA Member organizations and the staff and managers who carry out important work geared towards improving the lives of so many Ontarians. The Conference program was packed with content related to the work that OMSSA Members do in housing and homelessness, children’s services, and employment and income supports. Learn more about our 2023 Exchange Conference.

Reconceptualizing Indigenous History

Reconceptualizing Indigenous History

by | December 2021

In recent years, many Canadians have begun to question their historical literacy, especially as disturbing facts about Indigenous history continue to be brought to light. With the knowledge that Canadian history is a focal point of our education system, recent events have caused many to ask, “Why do I know so little about Indigenous history?”

True Reconciliation Means Action

True Reconciliation Means Action

by | October 2021

Canada must realize that Reconciliation is not about saying sorry. Reconciliation is not about ticking off the easy boxes of the TRC Calls to Action – erecting monuments to survivors; adding curriculum in schools; and inserting land recognitions before meetings.