Our sessions filled up quickly, with many attendees even standing for the full 90 minutes! The level of engagement and enthusiasm truly highlighted the shared commitment to advancing culturally rooted practices in child wellbeing. Feedback from attendees echoed the need for ALIGN’s Well-Being Toolkit, which they found practical, innovative, and directly relevant to the implementation of Bill C-92 and current Reconciliation efforts.
The Well-Being Toolkit, co-developed with Indigenous youth, Elders, and practitioners, resonated deeply with the audience. It offers a unique, culturally grounded approach to well-being assessments, complete with tools, indicators, and assessments across the seven domains of well-being. This framework helps align practices with National Standards while promoting Indigenous jurisdiction and self-determination in child wellbeing.
The conference concluded with an impactful keynote by Dr. Cindy Blackstock, whose words left a lasting impression on everyone in the room. Her insights on child advocacy and her unwavering commitment to equity and justice for Indigenous children were powerful reminders of the work still to be done and the strength needed to drive meaningful change. Cindy’s address inspired us all to take actionable steps toward a future where every Indigenous child can thrive in their community and culture.
We want to extend a huge thank you to the Our Children, Our Way team for welcoming us and to all the attendees who joined us to explore the Well-Being Toolkit. We look forward to continuing this important journey with all of you! To everyone we met at the conference and anyone new to ALIGN, we invite you to explore our upcoming events and resources, where we’ll keep building knowledge and connections in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation.
ALIGN Presentation