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Join in! Well-Being CoP January 21, 2025

 December 30, 2024

The CoP meets monthly, every third Tuesday and is an informal community of like-minded practitioners and evaluators in the child and family serving sector who are interested in growing their organization’s impact on child and youth well-being.

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Well-Being EBlast December 2024 The Village: Supporting Staff in Seeing the Impact

 December 19, 2024

This month we feature Val Crosby, Executive Director of The High Level Toy Lending Library, which currently provides Mackenzie Family Resource Network (MFRN) services

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ALIGN Well-Being in Child and Family Services Initiative

 December 10, 2024

The way we define and understand child and youth well-being matters.

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ALIGN's Indigenous Cultural Understanding Framework (ICUF)

 December 10, 2024

A Digital Interactive Journey to increase cultural understanding within Alberta agencies so that all Indigenous children living in Alberta can live in dignity and respect, supported by people with a deeper understanding of Indigenous worldviews, history and current reality.

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Caring for Foster Kids During the Holidays: Bringing Joy and Stability to Their Lives

 December 10, 2024

As a caregiver, fostering a sense of joy, comfort, and security during the holidays can make a world of difference.

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ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers November 2024

 November 28, 2024

CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.

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Celebrating Success at the "Our Children, Our Way" Conference

 November 23, 2024

We were honored to present at the Our Children, Our Way conference this year, hosted by the incredible Mary Teegee and her team. Mary, a recent presenter at ALIGN’s own Walking the Children Home event, graciously invited us to share our work, and we were thrilled to connect with so many passionate professionals and community members dedicated to Indigenous child and family well-being.

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ALIGN’s Ongoing Engagement Executive Director’s Update: Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly

 November 8, 2024

We are pleased to share that ALIGN recently attended the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Special Chiefs Assembly (SCA) on Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program, held from October 16-18, 2024, on Treaty 7 Territory, in Calgary, Alberta.

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Special Chiefs Assembly (SCA) on Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS)
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MCHB: Centering Stories in an Ecological Framework (ALIGN's Well-Being Eblast Oct. 2024)

 October 24, 2024

This month we feature Hannah Goa’s experience of piloting the toolkit at the Multicultural Health Broker Cooperative (MCHB) in Edmonton. Hannah has been supporting the Intercultural FRN work for the past 4 years and is responsible for reporting to funders. She became interested in joining the toolkit pilot group to inspire her work on their Evaluation Framework that uniquely reflects the values and principles of cultural brokering.

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ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers October 2024

 October 23, 2024

CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.

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Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society: Growing Organizational Well-Being (ALIGN’s Well-Being eBlast Sept 2024)

 September 15, 2024

This month we feature Jill Robinson's experiencing of piloting the toolkit with managers using components of the tool-kit to better understand how to promote staff well-being.

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ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers September 2024

 September 15, 2024

CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.

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ALIGN Introduction to Child Intervention In Alberta Online Self Study Guide

 August 20, 2024

This self-paces online self-study guide is an orientation for those new to the work with children and families in Alberta.

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WJS: Using Well-Being Domains to Share Stories & Build Community (ALIGN's Well-Being eBlast August 2024)

 August 15, 2024

This month we feature Aaron Hachkowski’s experience of piloting the toolkit at WJS. Aaron is a Program Director and oversees sites across Alberta and Ontario. He found that gathering stories for each of the toolkit’s seven well-being domains was a way to support learning and community between very diverse sites

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ALIGN Journal for Services to Children and Families 2024

 July 25, 2024

The ALIGN Journal for Services to Children and Families (the Journal) is intended to be a forum for significant, critical and serious inquiry related to the work of the agencies – children, youth, families, organizations, leadership and wellness. ALIGN Journals support strengthening member agencies and promoting attitudes, practices and conditions that contribute to quality services for children and families

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Rainbow Literacy: Stories Sharing Each Client's Journey (ALIGN's Well-Being eBlast July 2024)

 July 15, 2024

This month we feature Barbare Moore Coffey's experience of piloting the toolkit at a small FRN in rural southern Alberta. Barbara is the Executive Director of Rainbow Literacy and found in the toolkit a way to make storytelling fundamental to learning and understanding impact.

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ALIGN's Well-Being eBlast McMan South: Understanding Staff Well-Being and Supervision

 June 15, 2024

This month we feature Brittany Anderson's experience of piloting the tookit at McMan South. Brittany is a Therapeutic Caregiving Specialist, and she started using the toolkit to better understand staff well-being and supervision.

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Building Stronger Child Welfare Systems Together (“Reconciliation Talks” Blog)

 June 1, 2024

As non-Indigenous agencies, our role is to support and collaborate with Indigenous communities, acknowledging their expertise and authority in child welfare matters.

Two feathers tied together with a cord
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ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers May 2024

 May 20, 2024

CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.

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ALIGN’s Well-Being in Child and Family Services eBlast Launch!

 May 15, 2024

Assess well-being and share your agencies impact!

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ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers April 2024

 April 20, 2024

CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.

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Understanding C-92: Empowering Indigenous Communities in Alberta (“Reconciliation Talks” Blog)

 April 15, 2024

The Act under Bill C-92 represents a beacon of hope for Indigenous communities in Alberta and across Canada. As non-Indigenous allies, let us commit to understanding and supporting this legislation, recognizing its potential to transform the lives of Indigenous children and families.

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ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers February 2024

 February 20, 2024

CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.

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ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers January 2024

 January 20, 2024

CONNECTIONS is monthly newsletter designed to support Foster and Kinship Caregivers to ensure First Nations, Metis & Inuit children in their care have access to cultural resources, activities and events that broaden their cultural awareness.

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ALIGN Agency Cost Analysis 2023

 December 12, 2023

Data has been gathered to identify the increasing costs of Group Care and the associated operating costs for agencies in Alberta.

The word analysis written in red marker on a clear screen with a graph behind it
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ALIGN Update on Social Service Sector Worker Wage Increase 2023

 March 12, 2023

Alberta announced a $330 million boost for the province's social sector as part of the UCP's 2023 budget. The money will be invested over the next three years and will be used to fund raises for front-line social service workers and increases for administration funding.

Money sticking out of jean pocket
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ALIGN Executive Directors Update Feb 2023

 February 13, 2023

Update from ALIGN Association E.D. Rhonda Barraclough on An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Children, Youth and Families and Government Relations.

Woman in business suit holding a sign that says Chief Executive Officer
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ALIGN Letter to Premier Smith Re Child Welfare & Disability Sector Crisis Oct 2022

 October 5, 2022

We would welcome an opportunity to personally connect with your team to discuss our ability to develop and grow a sustainable non-profit sector and community support services that cares for vulnerable Albertans.

Man wearing a business suit at desk signing a document
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ALIGN Association Group Care Agency Survey Report 2022

 May 21, 2022

This report offers a picture of the current Group Care Situation. 22 agencies participated and shared their experiences from 2019 to present. As you read through this report you will see data, numbers, and agency quotes that outline some of the concerns of group care agencies throughout Alberta

word feedback in red marker on a clear
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ALIGN Kinship Focused Literature Search to Inform Kinship Redesign 2.0 2021

 October 13, 2021

The following focused literature search and environmental scan was conducted to support the development of the Kinship Care Redesign in Alberta 2.0 Report for ALIGN Association of Community Services.

woman holding up a toddler
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ALIGN Journal COVID-19: Meeting the Challenge in Child Welfare Settings 2021

 June 13, 2021

ALIGN Journals support strengthening member agencies and promoting attitudes, practices and conditions that contribute to quality services for children and families

Kids with painted hands
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ALIGN Report Agency Response: Kinship Redesign in Alberta 2021

 May 13, 2021

Our team with ALIGN met with Elders Dr. Reg and Rose Crowshoe in October 2021 for a conversation about kinship care in Alberta. Discussion questions included: What principles should agencies adopt when supporting/delivering Kinship Care? What standards of practice should be built to ensure best practice? This is a summary of what we heard.

wo kids smiling and laying on a park bench
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ALIGN Presentation BILL C-92 From Compliance to Connection

 May 1, 2020

Presented by Dr. Hadley Friedland and Koren Lightning-Earle Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge 2020

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Foundations of Caregiver Support (FCS) Report

 May 1, 2020

This document provides the vision and purpose of the Foundations of Caregiver Support and a description of it’s three foundational pillars: child development, trauma, and loss and grief.

A mother walking with a toddler. She is holding his hand
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