Anti-Oppressive Practice
The Children’s Aid Society of London & Middlesex (CASLM) is committed to improving outcomes for children, youth and families who are members of marginalized groups by adopting an Anti-Oppressive Practice (AOP). Anti-oppression can be defined as the lens through which one understands how race, gender, sexual orientation and identity, ability, age, class, occupation and social service usage, can result in systemic inequalities for particular groups.
The agency’s practices, structures and policies are being informed by anti-oppressive principles with the intention of creating a culture where there is focus on the needs and circumstances of those who are marginalized and excluded from equitable participation in society. Having the agency embed AOP into its services will help address the issues of disparity and disproportionality that plague families who are marginalized. This practice will result in better outcomes for the families and improve the working experience of staff who are members of marginalized communities. Research indicates that utilizing other approaches that fail to address the power dynamic between the child welfare system and families has the potential to reinforce, if not deepen, the inequalities experienced by many parents and children already.
One Vision One Voice
The purpose of the One Vision One Voice Program is to guide the Children’s Aid Societies of Ontario to changing the Ontario Child Welfare system to better serve Black/African Canadians. In London the Black community represents only 2.5% of the population, but 7.5% of the children in CASLM care. Accompanying this example of disproportionality is the disparity of outcomes for Black families that come into contact with the child welfare system. The mandate of this project is the implementation of the One Vision One Voice’s race equity practices. Although the focus of One Vision One Voice is the Black community, the agency’s adoption of AOP will improve outcomes for all families served.
Click here for more information on One Vision One Voice from OACAS.