Equity and reconciliation are key pillars at CASO

Yvette Uwitonze fled a genocidal civil war in Burundi in East Africa 20 years ago. Now, as the equity, diversity & inclusion child protection worker at the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO), she understands the complexities when a Black child comes into care.

This was initiated to help and work with, as well as highlight, the importance of cultural traditions for Black racialized children. We’re looking to change and better serve our communities,” Uwitonze says.

CASO began mapping a new strategic plan five years ago and wanted it anchored in community. The majority of approximately 400 children in care are Black, racialized, First Nations, Inuit and Métis, so that led to a different model, explains Kelly Raymond, executive director.

“The foundation of our house is predicated on two of the most critical strategic pillars, which are equity, diversity and inclusion, and reconciliation,” says Raymond. “What that means is all our initiatives, programs, activities and work flows are embedded through equity and reconciliation.”

Reconciliation was designated a separate pillar because it’s both about equity and child welfare and about new federal legislation that gives First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities opportunities to create their own child welfare systems, Raymond explains.

“So, the reconciliation pillar is our commitment to honour that potential,” she adds.

Raymond says the other two pillars of CASO’s strategic plan are excellence and innovation, and partnerships and collaboration. While staff went through the new plan process, something else became clear.

“We have a serious problem. We primarily serve First Nations, Inuit, Métis and Black, racialized children, youth and families, but we were over-represented by a majority of white staff. We were committed to ensuring our staff are reflective of the communities we serve,” Raymond says.

Indigenous, visible minorities, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities were also significantly under-represented.

“So that’s where the equity hiring initiative identified and prioritized employment opportunities. Implementation started slowly during the pandemic but we fully launched it officially in April 2022,” says Raymond.

Uwitonze has been with CASO for five years in such areas as violence against women and francophone units but quickly applied when the position of equity, diversity & inclusion child protection worker was posted.

“Luckily I got it,” she says. “Events like the tragic death of George Floyd and Black Lives Matter and what it meant to be a Black person in the pandemic showed we needed to make things happen.

“I am just one person but we’re growing and we’ve put the emphasis on working better with the city’s growing diversity.”

Raymond adds: “I think what’s changed in our culture is that diversity is recognized for the value and richness it deserves and each of us plays a role in bettering the services we provide.”

Matching children within their culture means recognizing the importance of religion and language as well as ethnicity, says Uwitonze.

“For example, if a family is from the Congo, we make every possible effort to involve a worker who speaks the language and knows the cultural identity,” she explains. “Or when a child is religious, making sure they have community support. So, what are a child’s values and how do we best serve them?”

Raymond adds that with the equity hiring initiative, 45 positions have been filled to start meeting the needs Uwitonze outlined.

“We recently held a staff barbecue and noted how diverse the staff was compared to five years ago,” Raymond says. “The representation is a reflection of who we serve. The reflection is knowing we’ve helped improve the work and service children, youth and families can expect, and that will continue.”

This article appeared in the magazine announcing this year's National Capital Region's Top Employers winners, published February 7, 2023 in the Ottawa Citizen. This article was prepared with the financial support of the employer, which reviewed but did not write its contents.