Children's Aid Foundation of Canada launches Stand Up for Kids: Future Transformed campaign to raise $75 million for children, youth and families in vulnerable situations
TORONTO, April 14, 2021 /CNW/ - Children's Aid Foundation of Canada has launched Stand Up for Kids: Futures Transformed campaign to raise $75 million in order to dramatically improve outcomes for families, children and youth across Canada who are involved with the child welfare system. The campaign will enable Children's Aid Foundation of Canada to catalyze change for Canada's most vulnerable children and youth and to build upon the Foundation's first national campaign for child welfare, which impacted the lives of over 100,000 children and youth living across the country.
"Our five-year strategic plan has propelled us towards one common goal – to ensure that every young person involved with the child welfare system in every part of Canada has an opportunity to thrive," says Valerie McMurtry, President and CEO, Children's Aid Foundation of Canada. "This is an opportunity to help transform the lives and outcomes of children and young people in the child welfare system and strengthen families at risk so that they can overcome the barriers they face in order to achieve stability, well-being and prevent their children from growing up in government care."
The Futures Transformed campaign is focused on addressing the complex challenges and needs of three priority populations in Canada: children and families at risk; children and youth currently living in the care of the child welfare system; and youth transitioning out of care to life on their own. The campaign will support life-changing programs and services designed for these populations with the goals of:
- creating stronger, healthier and more resilient families so that fewer children and youth will enter or grow up in care;
- helping more children and youth in care graduate from high school;
- helping empower youth who "age out" of care with education, employment and mentorship supports to assist them in shaping their own future
Despite a global pandemic, the campaign has already reached over 50% of its goal thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, with more than $39.2 million raised to date for Canada's most vulnerable youth – those who are at risk of or have experienced abuse, abandonment or neglect.
To help us reach our crucial fundraising goal of $75 million, Children's Aid Foundation of Canada is grateful for the volunteer leadership of the Stand Up for Kids: Futures Transformed Campaign Cabinet & Advisory Council:
Co-chairs - Bill Butt, Laura Dottori-Attanasio and Dougal Macdonald
Daniel Barclay
Eric Bélanger
Jeff Bowman
Michel Fortier
Pierre Frappier
John Gossling
Rahim Hirji
Nicolas Marcoux
Adam Sinclair
Aaron Zifkin
Campaign Advisory Council
Richard D. Falconer
Sheila Murray
Stephen Sandler
Damien Steel
Jaime Watt
To learn more about the Futures Transformed campaign or to donate, cafdn.org/about-us/futures-transformed-campaign
About Children's Aid Foundation of Canada
Children's Aid Foundation of Canada is our country's leading charity dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth involved in the child welfare system. We raise and grant funds and deliver a wide range of high-impact programs and services in partnership with 72 child- and youth-serving agencies across the country that support more than 19,300 vulnerable young people and 4,200 families annually.
Stand Up for Kids is our national public movement uniting caring Canadians in changing the futures of our nation's most vulnerable kids - those who have experienced abuse and neglect. We know that by helping these young people to overcome their trauma and break the cycle for future generations, they gain the strength and resilience to create a lifetime of their own unstoppable successes. Find out more at cafdn.org
SOURCE Children's Aid Foundation of Canada
Lisa Lipkin, Lisa Lipkin Communications, [email protected]; 416-988-4189
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