President’s Annual Report 2011 – 2012

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Submitted by:  Sheila Durnford, President, CFFA
Here it is time to reflect on the past year and the CFFA’s accomplishments and work that has been done.

Our Safeguarding Committee and Conference Committee worked hard throughout the year rewriting and updating the Safeguarding and Conference Manual.  It is hoped that they will both be approved soon.

 This year we began distributing our newsletter “The Bulletin” electronically (via email) to our members.  We continue to post it on our website. Our Website continues to be updated regularly, and shows increased usage each year.

 We were pleased to have received letters from both the Governor General and Prime Minister recognizing National Foster Family Week and the work that Foster families do throughout the year.  The Yukon Foster Family Association invited me to Whitehorse during National Foster Family Week to speak at their Recognition banquet.  I had the opportunity to attend one of their Board Meetings, meet many foster parents, social and resource workers and was interviewed for the local newspaper and did a talk show on CBC radio.

The CFFA poster contest was re-instated this year.  Funding for the prizes was kindly donated by the IFCO 2011 Planning Committee

The Board of Directors held their Fall Board meeting in Sundry, Alberta.  Some of the work that was done in these meetings was:

  • Developed  a Vision and Values statement;
  •  Developed  Purpose/Goals for the National Working Group; (as requested from NWG)
  • Defined Peer support; mentoring; advocacy ( as requested from NWG
  • The Directors share information  on each of their Province/Territories’
  • Update on the Every Child Matters I and II project

I was a member of the Child Welfare League of Canada’s (CWLC) Achievement Awards Committee.  This committee chooses a winner from a large number of submissions in various categories.

Our joint project with the CWLC – Every Child Matters is now in its last year.  A second edition of the CWLC’s Canada’s Children was dedicated to the Every Child Matters project, and an Editorial was submitted for this issue.

 The Child Welfare League of Canada was successful in securing funding for the second phase of the project – Every Child Matters II.  We will have representation on the committee.

 I was asked to critique a book that is being written on fostering, and to write the forward for this book.  It is hoped that the book will be in print soon.

 Looking back, I believe we had a very positive and productive year.  Many of our accomplishments could not have been done without the work, dedication and support of many.  I would like to thank the Executive for their work and support throughout the year, and the Provincial/Territorial Directors, who are our main go between from our organization to yours.

 We are very excited that this year’s conference is being held in St. John’s Newfoundland, hosted by the Newfoundland and Labrador Foster Families Association.  Thank you to all of you that were part of the conference committee.  It is an incredible amount of work!

 I look forward to having the opportunity to carry on my work as CFFA President for another term and continue working towards the betterment of the CFFA and Foster Families across Canada.

  I  hope that you all enjoy the conference, the workshops, and the social events planned.