FOR US, BY US.
Child Welfare Survivor Autonomy & Leadership
The Collective of Child Welfare Survivors
CCWS is a grassroots, survivor-led organization building support for child welfare survivors, particularly Black, Indigenous, and racialized survivors and their families.
We exist to disrupt family policing and create spaces of care, connection, and community outside of systems that have harmed us. Our work is rooted in survivor leadership, youth-led practice, and the belief that we deserve to build lives beyond blame, control, and institutional violence.
Care is built.
Community is chosen.
Our future is ours.
What we do
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Advocacy
We support survivors and their families who are involved with or have been involved with child protection services or child welfare in Ontario. We offer direct advocacy, resources, and support rooted dignity, and self-determination.
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Community Development
We create educational and community spaces for child welfare survivors, primarily Black, Indigenous, and racialized youth up to 29 years old. Our programs and workshops explore a range of topics rooted in care, connection, and lived experience.
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Systemic organizing
We understand systemic organizing as collective action led by survivors to challenge and disrupt the systems that harm us. This includes advocacy, campaigns, and organizing efforts that address the systemic issues impacting child welfare survivors and their families.
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Education
We offer education for communities, service providers, and organizations to rethink how they engage with child welfare survivors and challenge systems of family policing. Through workshops, trainings, public speaking, and resource materials, we share tools, knowledge, and practices grounded in lived experience.
In-partnership with:
Our work is made possible through the support of our funder and organizational mentor.
