On May 14, York Region CAS was proud to participate in OACAS’ Children and Youth in Care Day at the Ontario Legislature.
Two York Region CAS youth, one former youth in care, and one staff member attended alongside youth and staff from agencies across the province, OACAS representatives, and members of the YouthCAN Provincial Youth Advisory Council.
The day began with attendees observing the morning Parliamentary Question Period, where Minister Michael Parsa formally welcomed and acknowledged all youth in and from care as special guests. During this time, the Minister also recognized Children and Youth in Care Day from the Parliamentary floor.
Following the session, youth gathered for lunch at a local restaurant, where they created postcards sharing meaningful messages for Minister Parsa and his office. These messages were hand-delivered to the Minister during an afternoon reception.
Minister Parsa connected directly with youth throughout the day and even met with a small group from the OACAS Youth Advisory Council during lunch and later hosted a larger reception for all attendees. During the reception, he reaffirmed his commitment to listening to and working alongside youth in and from care. He shared his personal contact information and committed to meeting with the Provincial Youth Advisory Council and the broader youth in care community twice annually moving forward. Youth also had the opportunity to engage with other Members of Provincial Parliament and government representatives.
The day concluded with a guided tour of the Legislature building.
We extend a sincere thank you to OACAS and the YouthCAN Provincial Youth Advisory Council for providing children and youth in care with a meaningful platform to share their voices and be agents of change.
