Resources
ALIGN’s Well-Being Toolkit Community of Practice (CoP)
The CoP 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.
ALIGN's Presentation of the Well-Being Toolkit at the 2025 Symposium on Child & Youth Trauma
ALIGN would like to extend our sincere thanks to the 2025 Symposium on Child & Youth Trauma conference planners for creating a meaningful and collaborative space and opportunity to share the ALIGN Well-Being Toolkit with attendees. It was a privilege to share our work with such an engaged and thoughtful audience, and we deeply appreciate the platform to discuss tools that support the well-being of First Nations, Metis and Inuit children and youth and the integration of traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern practices.
ALIGN CONNECTIONS For Indigenous Children/Youth & Caregivers April 2025
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.
ALIGN's Well-Being in Child and Family Services Toolkit
The way we define and understand child and youth well-being matters.
ALIGN's Indigenous Cultural Understanding Framework (ICUF)
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.
ALIGN Report "Empowering Futures: Gatherings for Indigenous Child Welfare Sovereignty" April 2025
The ALIGN gathering, Empowering Futures Gatherings in Treaty 6 (Edmonton) and Treaty 7 (Calgary), focused on Indigenous Child Welfare Sovereignty, allowing us to engage in deep discussions about Indigenous jurisdiction over child welfare, the barriers and opportunities in Alberta, and what meaningful action looks like moving forward.
ALIGN Empowering Futures Presentation Materials
This event allowed us to engage in deep discussions about Indigenous jurisdiction over child welfare, the barriers and opportunities in Alberta, and what meaningful action looks like moving forward.
ALIGN Introduction to Child Intervention In Alberta Online Self Study Guide
This self-paces online self-study guide is an orientation for those new to the work with children and families in Alberta.
10 Well-Being Strategies for Frontline Workers Who Support Children/Youth Experiencing Trauma (ALIGN)
ALIGN Association knows frontline workers who support children experiencing trauma often face significant emotional, psychological, and physical challenges in their roles. It’s essential for them to prioritize self-care to maintain their own well-being and continue offering high-quality care. Here are ten strategies for frontline workers to take care of their own well-being in the workplace:
Well-Being EBlast December 2024 The Village: Supporting Staff in Seeing the Impact
This month we feature Val Crosby, Executive Director of The High Level Toy Lending Library, which currently provides Mackenzie Family Resource Network (MFRN) services
Caring for Foster Kids During the Holidays: Bringing Joy and Stability to Their Lives
As a caregiver, fostering a sense of joy, comfort, and security during the holidays can make a world of difference.
Celebrating Success at the "Our Children, Our Way" Conference
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.
ALIGN’s Ongoing Engagement Executive Director’s Update: Assembly of First Nations Special Chiefs Assembly
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.
MCHB: Centering Stories in an Ecological Framework (ALIGN's Well-Being Eblast Oct. 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.
2024 Alberta Foster and Kinship Association Flag-Raising Ceremony
October is Foster and Kinship Caregiver Month in Alberta!
Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society: Growing Organizational Well-Being (ALIGN’s Well-Being eBlast Sept 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.
WJS: Using Well-Being Domains to Share Stories & Build Community (ALIGN's Well-Being eBlast August 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
ALIGN Journal for Services to Children and Families 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
Rainbow Literacy: Stories Sharing Each Client's Journey (ALIGN's Well-Being eBlast July 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.
ALIGN's Well-Being eBlast McMan South: Understanding Staff Well-Being and Supervision
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.
Building Stronger Child Welfare Systems Together (“Reconciliation Talks” Blog)
As non-Indigenous agencies, our role is to support and collaborate with Indigenous communities, acknowledging their expertise and authority in child welfare matters.
ALIGN’s Well-Being in Child and Family Services eBlast Launch!
Assess well-being and share your agencies impact!
Understanding C-92: Empowering Indigenous Communities in Alberta (“Reconciliation Talks” Blog)
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.
ALIGN Agency Cost Analysis 2023
Data has been gathered to identify the increasing costs of Group Care and the associated operating costs for agencies in Alberta.
ALIGN Update on Social Service Sector Worker Wage Increase 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.
ALIGN Letter to Premier Smith Re Child Welfare & Disability Sector Crisis Oct 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.
ALIGN Association Group Care Agency Survey Report 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
ALIGN Kinship Focused Literature Search to Inform Kinship Redesign 2.0 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.
ALIGN Presentation Chief Delorme Cowessess First Nation & Miyo Pimatisowin Act & Coordination Agreement C-92
ALIGN AGM Presentation 2021
ALIGN Journal COVID-19: Meeting the Challenge in Child Welfare Settings 2021
ALIGN Journals support strengthening member agencies and promoting attitudes, practices and conditions that contribute to quality services for children and families
ALIGN Report Agency Response: Kinship Redesign in Alberta 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.
ALIGN Presentation BILL C-92 From Compliance to Connection
Presented by Dr. Hadley Friedland and Koren Lightning-Earle Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge 2020
Foundations of Caregiver Support (FCS) Report
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.
ALIGN Journal From Theory to Practice Residential Care 2017
ALIGN Journals support strengthening member agencies and promoting attitudes, practices and conditions that contribute to quality services for children and families
Transitioning From Care Guide – Revised Edition 2016
Developed by Jeff Solberg in collaboration with ALIGN (previously AASCF) and AFKA (previously AFPA) to improves outcomes for youth in care and their caregiver
