Practice and Research Together (PART)

10/04/2026

09/30/2026

Nominate a social worker or frontline worker who embodies the love, courage, respect and dedication in support of children and youth in care 💜

Held in high esteem by First Nations across the country because of her integrity and devotion to justice and equity for First Nations children, young people, and families, Mary Teegee's advocacy and dedication to ending discrimination have called for persistence, courage to engage in difficult conversations, and unwavering resilience in the face of adversity.

If this sounds like a social worker or frontline worker you know, nominate them today!

❤️ The recipient of this award will receive $2,000 in recognition of their exemplary courage and advocacy.

🗓️ Nominations are open until October 9.

🔗 Learn more about how to submit a nomination here: https://fncaringsociety.com/mary-teegee-caring-award

09/30/2026

At PART, we approach this work with humility and a clear acknowledgment of the ongoing harms created by colonial child welfare systems. We are committed to learning, unlearning, and supporting change that is guided by Indigenous children, youth, families, knowledge sharers, Elders, and scholars. Their leadership shapes the direction forward.

We share this update to encourage reflection and responsibility across the sector. Progress depends on everyday practice, shared accountability, and workplaces where Indigenous colleagues are supported rather than expected to carry advocacy alone.

Our commitment is to follow Indigenous leadership, strengthen equity, and help build a national community of practice where Indigenous children and families are safe, supported, and empowered.

Thank you to Indigenous Watchdog for keeping this information current and accessible, and to all the organizations and advocates who do this important work every day of the year.

06/30/2026

Join us on July 7th for our next webinar!

This presentation summarizes insights from the Foster TALES (Transitioning to Adult Life after Emancipation from the System) study, which explored the perceptions of emerging adults (18-29) who aged out of foster care in Canada. Findings reveal how youth navigated newly acquired independence, and specifically, how experiences of structural violence encountered pre- and post-emancipation influenced their mental health and capacity for positive adaptation.

Dr. Brianna Jackson is a Psychiatric-Mental Health Registered Nurse and an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dr. Jackson attended the University of Western Ontario for her BScN and MScN degrees, before ultimately pursuing her PhD at Yale University. She later completed her Postdoctoral training with the National Clinician Scholars Program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Jackson’s research and clinical practice are highly synergistic, lying at the intersection of trauma and resilience among youth who are marginalized by inequity. She uses mixed methods, arts-based, and participatory approaches to explore complex biopsychosocial factors influencing mental health and wellbeing in historically underrepresented and socially disadvantaged young people.

Register at www.partcanada.org

06/18/2026

Join us for our upcoming webinar with Ebony Rose Tucker of the
Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP) at Adelaide University (AU)!

June 23rd, 2026
05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

As a policy and practice priority, reunification remains the most frequent permanency outcome for children and young people leaving out-of-home care (OOHC) among several child protection systems across the globe. Despite increased attention and efforts towards reunification in child protection, little remains known about the factors and experiences which shape practices and outcomes of reunification for families. With an increasing number of reunified families becoming reinvolved with child protection following children’s return home from care, more is needed to better understand the contexts which facilitate and challenge how families are supported to safely achieve and maintain reunification. This presentation draws from the insights gathered over an ongoing mixed-methods PhD project which aims to improve the process and long-term outcomes of reunification for families, by exploring the facilitators and barriers to safe and stable reunification. Findings shared include the voices of both parents and professionals who have experienced and support families through the process of reunification, to highlight key implications for policy and practice in better supporting reunification outcomes.

Ebony is a current PhD Candidate and Research Assistant with the Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP) at Adelaide University (AU), whose research focuses on exploring the facilitators and barriers to safe and stable reunification for families. Ebony’s PhD project undertakes a mixed-methods approach, drawing from multiple qualitative and quantitative data sources to examine the characteristics, outcomes, and experiences of families who have experienced reunification, including the child protection systems which surround them. Through the PhD project, Ebony’s focus is on developing research and an evidence base which can be implemented into reunification policy and practice in child protection systems.

Register at www.partcanada.org

06/09/2026

OPEN TO EVERYONE!
Register at www.partcanada.org

This webinar presents findings from an analysis of the 2019 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS‑2019) examining racial disparities affecting Black children in child welfare in Canada. Using quantitative methods, including propensity score matching, the study examines differences in investigation rates and out‑of‑home placements while accounting for case characteristics. Results show that Black children are investigated at more than twice the rate of White children and remain significantly more likely to be placed out of home, even when key risk factors are similar. The findings suggest that structural and institutional processes contribute to cumulative disadvantage across Black children’s child welfare involvement.

Dr. Alicia Boatswain‑Kyte is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at McGill University whose research advances equity‑focused practice and policy through an anti‑Black racism lens. Her work critically examines how Black children and youth experience systemic disparities across child welfare, education, health, and justice systems. Her doctoral research was the first longitudinal study in Quebec to examine the differential service trajectories of Black children reported to child protection. Findings from this work were presented to the Quebec Special Commission on the Rights of the Child and Youth Protection and contributed to calls for more tailored and culturally responsive interventions. Dr. Boatswain‑Kyte’s current research is grounded in Afro‑emancipatory and community‑engaged methodologies that centre the lived experiences and expertise of Black youth, families, and community organizations. She collaborates with community partners to co‑develop tools, training, and policy recommendations that address structural trauma and promote collective well‑being. Her work bridges academic scholarship, public policy, and public engagement, contributing to Black‑centred approaches to child and youth services in Quebec and across Canada.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026
2:00 PM (EDT); 1:00 PM (CT); 12:00 PM (MT);11:00 AM (PT)
Duration: 1 hour

06/09/2026

This webinar presents findings from an analysis of the 2019 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS‑2019) examining racial disparities affecting Black children in child welfare in Canada. Using quantitative methods, including propensity score matching, the study examines differences in investigation rates and out‑of‑home placements while accounting for case characteristics. Results show that Black children are investigated at more than twice the rate of White children and remain significantly more likely to be placed out of home, even when key risk factors are similar. The findings suggest that structural and institutional processes contribute to cumulative disadvantage across Black children’s child welfare involvement.

Dr. Alicia Boatswain‑Kyte is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at McGill University whose research advances equity‑focused practice and policy through an anti‑Black racism lens. Her work critically examines how Black children and youth experience systemic disparities across child welfare, education, health, and justice systems. Her doctoral research was the first longitudinal study in Quebec to examine the differential service trajectories of Black children reported to child protection. Findings from this work were presented to the Quebec Special Commission on the Rights of the Child and Youth Protection and contributed to calls for more tailored and culturally responsive interventions. Dr. Boatswain‑Kyte’s current research is grounded in Afro‑emancipatory and community‑engaged methodologies that centre the lived experiences and expertise of Black youth, families, and community organizations. She collaborates with community partners to co‑develop tools, training, and policy recommendations that address structural trauma and promote collective well‑being. Her work bridges academic scholarship, public policy, and public engagement, contributing to Black‑centred approaches to child and youth services in Quebec and across Canada.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026
2:00 PM (EDT); 1:00 PM (CT); 12:00 PM (MT);11:00 AM (PT)
Duration: 1 hour

05/08/2026

Join us for a webinar presentation by
Dr. Donna O’Leary and Matt Townsend!

This presentation examines the implementation of the Signs of Safety (SofS) practice framework within the Irish child protection and welfare system. In 2017, Tusla—the Child and Family Agency in Ireland—adopted SofS as its national practice framework. Following Tusla’s adoption of SofS, three reports were commissioned to understand how the approach is experienced by children, parents, and practitioners. These reports were undertaken by both the developers of SofS in Ireland and independent academic researchers. The reports, when looked at together, offer a rich set of insights into how the framework operates in practice.
Townsend, O’Leary and Whiting synthesized findings across all three reports. Their analysis highlights two contrasting dynamics within SofS: on one hand, the framework can boost morale, strengthen communication, and empower both social workers and families, and on the other, it can introduce burdens and complications for those same groups. The presentation will explore these tensions, discuss the short‑term impacts identified by stakeholders, and reflect on the need for further practice‑based and longitudinal research to better understand the long‑term outcomes for children and families.

Visit www.partcanada.org to register!

05/05/2026

We are grateful for this Knowledge shared by •

04/21/2026

It’s not too late to register!

This webinar explores how systems thinking can support professionals to integrate children’s participation into decision‑making. By viewing child safeguarding practice through a complexity lens, participants will gain confidence and deepen reflection on practice strategies, such as feedback loops and networked ways of working, to create space for children’s voices within the realities and constraints of child protection systems.

Samia Michail is a Lecturer in Social Work at Western Sydney University. Her research focuses on children’s participation rights, professional decision‑making in child protection work, and using systems thinking to ensure children’s wellbeing. She works closely with practitioners and organisations to strengthen child‑centred approaches and support reflective, evidence‑informed practice across complex service systems.