What a week it was!  In fact, what a month it was.  Suggestions, questions, and requests about CYC Week started pouring in at least a month prior to June 7.  And when it was all over, the stories and pictures started coming in from across the province.  Due to space limitations, we can only give you a selection of the material received.  Our thanks to all who submitted articles, photos, and notes so that the rest of us could share in this province-wide celebration of our profession.

The George Hull Centre - Toronto
Perhaps the biggest request for materials to celebrate the Week came from George Hull Centre in Etobicoke (Toronto).  They wanted enough membership forms to sign up their entire child and youth worker staff as OACYC members!  We knew of the continuing interest in professionalism of some of the George Hull staff but this was totally unexpected.  Sure, a half-dozen or so CYCs there had maintained regular membership in the OACYC for a number of years such as Joanne McCallum (far right of photo, with glasses) in her 12^th year as a member.  And we also knew that the Executive Director, Elizabeth Ridgely, was very supportive of child and youth workers generally.  At this year's Krista Sepp Awards she gave a speech about us that should have been taped for entire field to hear.  But all 29 staff becoming members at one time; that was something else. 
The (brilliant!) idea came from a discussion that Jane Bray, Director of Resource Programs (and '72 George Brown CCW grad) had with the Hull Program Managers (Andrew Legatto, Joanne Mc Callum and Tahmo Gharabaghi).  It meant a lot of work getting everyone's membership forms, proof of education, etc. ; Jane took care of that.  Then there was the cost of membership.  Here's where Ms. Ridgely (or Libby as she's known by most people) showed again her support for our profession -- she approved the payment of the membership fees!

But that wasn't the end of their celebration of CYC Week.  They also had a banner made for the occasion (pictured left, behind the staff) and had an award for the "Most Admired Child and Youth Counsellor" as voted on by all of the child and youth worker staff.  Maria Frederick was the winning CYC and received a gift certificate for dinner for two at a local restaurant.  There were also four runners-up who each received truffles: Amy DeMunnik, Shauna Doyle, Joyce Fulton, Cris Kiez.  What a great way to celebrate CYC Week and our 45^th Anniversary!

London
For quite another way to celebrate CYC Week, we turn to one of our members in the London area, Bev Anderson.  As a part-time teacher in the CYW Program at Fanshawe College, Bev came up with a very fitting way to celebrate the week with her students: "I put it [a newspaper article about CYCs] on an overhead and we read it while we chatted and ate ice cream in celebration of 'us'."

The newspaper article she is talking about appeared in the June 7 edition of the London Free Press, in a section that provides readers with an opportunity to comment on topical issues.  The writers were former OACYC President Joanne Cox and Kristen Fryer, a child and youth worker from the London Health Sciences Centre (pictured on far right below).  The article was one of their contributions to CYC Week and serves as a good example of how to make the community aware of our profession.  Here is an abridged version of the article:

What happens to the children and youth who have been emotionally, mentally, physically or sexually abused?  Who supports children who have experienced traumatic, life-changing events?  Many professionals, including social workers, police officers, teachers, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and physicians, care for these children and their families.  However, there are other key players. These are child and youth counsellors.

June 7-13 is Child and Youth Counsellor Week in Ontario, It's an opportunity to demonstrate appreciation for the work these counsellors do in our community every day.  Child and youth counsellors support, direct, encourage and advocate for children and youth who have been victims of emotional, physical or sexual abuse.  These children may be withdrawn, suicidal, physically aggressive or socially inappropriate, or may have difficulties in school, with their emotions and in their relationships with family and peers. Some may be in conflict with the law.

Child and youth counsellors spend many hours with these young people, many of whom live away from home in residential settings.  They are there throughout the child's day, from the time they awake until they settle at night, assisting them as they struggle with the realities of their situations…. 

Our community is fortunate that there are people who choose to take on these tough responsibilities. With little fanfare, they commit to troubled children and their families.  Because they must protect the privacy of children, these counsellors are not well-known to the public. The designation of a week to recognize their work is timely and appropriate as we celebrate their dedication, skill and willingness to care for those who are the most vulnerable.

Besides informing the London area about our profession, the article was noticed by Deb Matthews, a London MPP who was considering announcing CYC Week in the Ontario Legislature. 

And recognition of CYCs and child and youth workers in London did not end there.  At the London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC), the hospital newsletter, The Page, featured a major centre-page spread on CYC Week and the child and youth workers' role at LHSC.  Also included in the article was the OACYC's recently developed Scope of Practice statement -- confirmation of the Board of Directors' belief that such a statement was timely and necessary for the further development of the profession. Jay Cahill (see photo right) is the only Certified CYC at LHSC but we hope that won't be for long.  With this kind of focus on the profession perhaps LHSC will move in the direction of a number of other Ontario hospitals in expecting professional qualifications for their child and youth worker staff (see HSC and CHEO below and June '04 Chronicle).

St. Thomas
St. Thomas (a short drive south of London) has only a fraction of the population of London but it is right at the forefront when it comes to recognizing CYCs and the profession generally.  The St. Thomas city council for instance passed a motion on June 7 proclaiming "the week of June 7^th to 13^th as 'Child and Youth Counsellor Week' in the City of St. Thomas."  The proclamation was thanks to the initiative of Todd Rowley.  He has been a strong promoter of the OACYC since his student days at Fanshawe (in 1997) when he was referred to the OACYC by Patti Dunn of Family and Children's Services in St. Thomas, where Todd now works.  The F&CS there is in fact probably the top agency for Certified CYCs in the London area on a percentage basis (although Western Area Youth Services and Nimkee Nupigawagan Healing Centre wouldn't be far behind - see April '04 Chronicle).

To celebrate CYC Week at F&CS, Todd tells us that they had "a trifold display at the entrance to Family and Children's Services which included information about the OACYC, with articles from the website and sections of the Chronicle.  As well, we provided information about the employers in Elgin County who employ CYW's as part of what essentially has been an awareness campaign.  On Monday, June 7, our Executive Director, Rod Potgieter emailed an announcement to all staff that it was the provincial CYC Week and expressed his thanks to all of the Child and Youth Workers and Child and Youth Counsellors."  The OACYC is also pleased to report that this June Family & Children's Services-St. Thomas became one of our newest Organizational Supporters.   

Kitchener-Waterloo
For an example of one of the ways CYC Week was celebrated in this area, just have a look at our cover photo.  It was placed outside the entrance to the main kidsLINK agency located in St. Agatha for the entire week.  "People visiting the agency, working at the agency, or driving by received first-hand knowledge of the pride that kidsLINK has in its CYCs."  All 47 of the child and youth workers and the 5 Child and Youth Counsellors at kidsLINK were named on the banner.  One of the Certified CYCs there, Peggy Humphries, Manager of the School Treatment Program (and longtime OACYC member) had a hand in creating the banner. 

Peggy also organized a "luncheon held on Thursday, June 10, 2004, where staff and kids enjoyed pizza, cold drinks and popsicles.  The CYCs and CYWs were given the opportunity to win prizes by entering their names in a 'CYC Only Draw.'  All of the CYCs and CYWs that entered their name walked away with a prize. The children were invited to share stories, memories, pictures, comments and poems about their favourite CYC/CYW.  The following poem was written by a twelve-year-old boy, Nick, and shared with everyone in attendance at the luncheon. It pays tribute to the child and youth workers in the residential and school programs at kidsLINK."

Staff are there to make things right,
they provide us with food day and night.
They play sports rain or shine,
anytime which is fine.
When I feel frustrated we sometimes talk,
and sometimes we go for a walk.
Staff are there to keep us safe and healthy,
someday we'll grow up to be very wealthy.
KidsLINK staff are the best around,
no finer staff could be found.

For more on Toronto, eastern and northern Ontario celebrations, click HERE