CHILD WELFARE OMMUNITY COUNCIL APPLICATION PROCESS

Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto is now accepting applications from community members to serve as volunteers with the Child Welfare Community Council (CWCC). The CWCC is a new program that looks at alternative ways of dealing with child welfare disputes involving Aboriginal families.

The CWCC will rely on volunteers who are willing to give a few hours of their time each month to work with Aboriginal families who are involved with the child welfare system. An application process has been developed for those wishing to volunteer their services as a CWCC member.

Volunteers for the CWCC must be of Aboriginal descent and 18 years of age or older. All applicants must fill out an application form for the Council and submit it to ALST. A committee of Council members will review all applications. Following the review of applications, interviews will be held with selected applicants. Following this interview, selected applicants will be asked to attend orientation and training sessions, which will give them an opportunity to learn more about the CWCC process and roles and responsibilities of Council members.

Following the orientation, applicants will be given the opportunity to sit-in or one or two Council hearings to get a feel for the process. Applicants will then sit in hearings as full participants. After three months of sitting in hearings, there will be a review of the volunteer’s progress with Council members and staff. After six months, if the volunteer’s performance and attendance at Council hearings remains positive, the volunteer will become a permanent Council member.

Those applicants who are selected for an initial interview are required to provide ALST with an up-to-date CPIC (criminal records) check before their interview. Aboriginal Legal Services will reimburse applicants the cost of a CPIC check. A prior criminal record will not necessarily prevent a person from being a Council volunteer.

Applications will be considered throughout the year.