Child and Family Services of Grand Erie (CFSGE), through its legislated mandate, provides a wide variety of prevention and protection services to youth. These services are in collaboration with the youth while respecting their voices, their diversity, and the principles of inclusion, while understanding the disparity and the racial and Indigenous disproportionality engrained in child welfare systems and practice.
Each youth must be considered an individual with their own circumstances, needs and rights, with their own cultural background, family histories, and experiences of racism and systemic oppression.
For youth who may be in need of protection services, please call any of our phone numbers and ask for our intake screening department.
Youth Services
CFSGE is committed to ensuring that youth in care are given every opportunity to develop the necessary skills, which will enable them to achieve stability and permanency, and to successfully transition to adulthood. We offer individualized programs and services for our youth to meet unique needs, promote school success and create a network of enduring, supportive relationships.
In collaboration with the youth, Youth Services Workers help develop specific, goal-oriented plans of service for young people pursuing independence, focusing on empowering young people with the skills and tools necessary for a positive evolution from care to independence.
Aftercare Benefits Initiative
The Aftercare Benefits Initiative (ABI) is a comprehensive health and dental benefits program for former youth in care. The program provides a broad range of benefit coverage, including prescription drug, dental vision, extended health benefits, counselling, and life skills support services. Click here to learn more.
Know Your Rights
If you are a young person who is receiving services from CFSGE, you have rights. The Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS) has provided an online resource for young people to help them understand their rights called, the Children and Young Persons’ Rights Resource.
This Rights Resource is intended to support young people understanding their rights in a way that is simple and gives them a way to find someone to talk to if they have questions. It also acts as a resource for parents, caregivers and staff to support and understand the rights of children and young persons.
To access the resource, follow this link: https://www.ontario.ca/page/children-and-young-persons-rights-resource.
More information on The Care You Deserve, can be found:
- Child-FriendlyWebpagePoster_EN
- Child-FriendlyWebpagePoster_FR
- and on the MCCSS child-friendly webpage at the following link: https://www.ontario.ca/page/the-care-you-deserve
The Ontario Ombudsman also has materials available to help young people understand their rights and how the Ombudsman can help.
Go to: https://www.ombudsman.on.ca/what-we-do/topics/children-youth/resources-for-young-people-in-care
Other resources for young people:
- MCCSS Children’s and Young Persons’ Rights resource poster (PDF)
- Ontario Ombudsman – Know-Your-Rights-in-Care-EN-INDIGENOUS brochure (PDF)
- Ontario Ombudsman – Know-Your-Rights-in-Care-EN brochure (PDF)
- The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child poster (PDF)
- UN Rights of a Child poster in child friendly language (PDF)
