Brittany is a long-standing ambassador for Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.supplied
Campaign raises funds to support youth who have experienced harm and trauma
Many people recall a pivotal moment in time when a chance encounter or a seemingly random choice determined their life’s path. For the approximately 60,000 children and youth across Canada in the child welfare system as a result of abuse, neglect or abandonment, those moments are especially impactful.
In Brittany’s case, the moment she recalls is when she knew she could give her own kids a future that would be very different from her own early childhood that was marked by trauma.
“The moment I knew I could break the cycle was when I joined Mothers in Mind, a Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada-funded [CAFC] program. It gave me the tools to parent through trauma, not pass it on to my children. CAFC helped me build the strength and love to give my kids a different future,” she says.
This GivingTuesday, CAFC is asking Canadians for their help through ‘The Moment I Knew’ campaign, which is raising funds to support youth like Brittany who often carry heavy burdens related to trauma, instability, stigma, poverty and pressure to grow up too soon.
The campaign focuses on four key impact areas: helping children build and maintain stable, nurturing relationships; providing crucial counselling, peer support and wellness resources for youth in and from care struggling with their mental health; education through scholarships, tutoring and mentoring programs to empower youth to pursue and achieve their educational goals; and employment-focused initiatives that provide job training, career counselling and financial assistance to help youth build stable futures.
Brittany has accessed support in all these areas. However, as she reflects on the Mothers in Mind program, she says she is grateful CAFC recognized the value of the initiative.
“It helps stop a lot of the intergenerational trauma that we experience as former youth in care, and it helps to break cycles of family violence,” she adds.
Today, Brittany’s passion lies in advocating for young people in care and striving to reduce the harm and trauma associated with the child welfare system. She is a long-standing ambassador for CAFC and served on the Young People’s Advisory Council from 2022 to 2024.
Learn more: cafdn.org/moment
Advertising feature produced by Randall Anthony Communications. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.