"The private-public partnership we imagine would change the game in Peel, addressing complex challenges unique to our community, and supporting children and families. With this additional component of our building project, we have an opportunity to help families earlier, keep kids connected to their families and community at vulnerable times, and blaze the trail addressing new and emerging needs.
We have the optimal location. We have the approval and support of governments. We have the leadership, the concept, and a visionary plan. All we need now is your support."
Mary Beth Moellenkamp
CEO, Peel Children's Aid
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A $5-million private investment leverages a new office build with the addition of a unique community hub.
This new 13,000-square-foot hub consolidates and extends services not funded by government, gives us the chance to cement our leadership, extends impact and efficiency, and positions Peel Children’s Aid to respond to the changing needs of the community. |
When you think of childhood what comes to mind?
When we think of childhood, most of us think how it was to be with our family and community. We imagine lives embedded in school,
parents, siblings, friends, and home. We might remember the network of supports – teachers, neighbors, grandparents, coaches—those who nurtured our potential, guided us, and showed us that, even in the face of challenge, we were part of a community that cared for us,
and to which we unequivocally belonged.
But imagine what it would be like to lose both your parents to illness or death, and to find yourself alone in the care of strangers. Or to be
taken away from your family one day because yours was a home where there was violence and abuse. Imagine if the parents you depended on were also suffering from addictions or mental illness. Or if your family moved all the time due to poverty or multiple evictions and you could never get any traction in school.
What if your refugee parents had no immigration status, English language skills, or friends in Canada? Or if you found yourself in
custody at Pearson Airport, an unaccompanied minor brought to a country you knew nothing about as a result of human trafficking?
parents, siblings, friends, and home. We might remember the network of supports – teachers, neighbors, grandparents, coaches—those who nurtured our potential, guided us, and showed us that, even in the face of challenge, we were part of a community that cared for us,
and to which we unequivocally belonged.
But imagine what it would be like to lose both your parents to illness or death, and to find yourself alone in the care of strangers. Or to be
taken away from your family one day because yours was a home where there was violence and abuse. Imagine if the parents you depended on were also suffering from addictions or mental illness. Or if your family moved all the time due to poverty or multiple evictions and you could never get any traction in school.
What if your refugee parents had no immigration status, English language skills, or friends in Canada? Or if you found yourself in
custody at Pearson Airport, an unaccompanied minor brought to a country you knew nothing about as a result of human trafficking?
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Here in Peel, children and youth like these are our neighbors, and Peel Children’s Aid has been a vitally-needed resource for them and for their families for more than 100 years.
Today, Peel CAS responds to more than 13,500 calls from concerned citizens, police, teachers and medical professionals; conducts over 8,000 investigations, and supports close to 300 children in care annually. It is a nationally and internationally recognized leader and innovator serving not only a traditional role supporting children in need, but supporting families to address challenges, overcome obstacles, and get back on their feet. |
"There are a number of things that make a community great: great hospitals, great schools, great institutions, thriving businesses. But our ability to care for our most vulnerable people is one of the most telling, but often overlooked indicators of our truest potential..." |
How will we respond to these changing needs?
Peel was one of the first communities in Canada to establish a Children’s Aid Society (CAS), and the society has remained an innovator through the years. Peel CAS has the lowest number of children in care per capita of any CAS in Ontario. We established a private foundation to give kids in care support to participate in sports, class trips, music and art.
Peel Children's Aid Foundation built a community-supported bursary program to help youth in care pursue post-secondary education. We initiated financial literacy classes, job search workshops, and support programs to help boost high school completion and give young people the tools they need to lead independent, productive lives in our community—all supported by private donors.
Peel Children’s Aid has had to innovate in this way, because we are an entity rising to the challenge of some of the most layered, nuanced and complex needs facing any Children’s Aid Society in Canada. Innovation is part of our tradition in Peel, and we are a community that has thrived by recognizing early that we could either be overwhelmed by constant change, or strive to understand the challenges shaping our community. In all facets of our community-building, Peel CAS has shown vision in leveraging our unique circumstances to harness and build potential.
Peel Children's Aid Foundation built a community-supported bursary program to help youth in care pursue post-secondary education. We initiated financial literacy classes, job search workshops, and support programs to help boost high school completion and give young people the tools they need to lead independent, productive lives in our community—all supported by private donors.
Peel Children’s Aid has had to innovate in this way, because we are an entity rising to the challenge of some of the most layered, nuanced and complex needs facing any Children’s Aid Society in Canada. Innovation is part of our tradition in Peel, and we are a community that has thrived by recognizing early that we could either be overwhelmed by constant change, or strive to understand the challenges shaping our community. In all facets of our community-building, Peel CAS has shown vision in leveraging our unique circumstances to harness and build potential.
"The $5 million incremental investment will enable us to ensure we provide the vital supports that address preventable problems and help harness the potential of people we serve. The community hub will be a place that welcomes and supports families at a vulnerable time, that integrates and guides youth aging out of care to be self sufficient, and that removes the sense of isolation that comes from not having the stable support of family, friends and community that most of us take for granted."
Renae Addis,
Executive Director, Peel Children’s Aid Foundation
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"The unique geography of the space, will be modeled not as an institutional space, but have a family feel. It represents other neutral places kids go to have a good time. When kids come in, there is a detachment from where scary decisions in your life were made. You don’t walk into something that looks like the front door of the probation office, but something that looks like the gateway to a new life." |
Peel Children’s Aid is an integral, yet often under-recognized part of that story. This agency now serves the second-largest municipality in Canada—home to a population of 1.3 million people representing one of the most diverse communities in Canada. Peel is growing fast, with more than 17,000 new residents moving into the area annually and an anticipated increase of 400,000 by 2031.
Working in one of the most diverse communities in Canada, Peel CAS faces unique challenges. In just one example, proximity to Pearson International Airport and seven 400-series highways puts us on the front lines working with the Syrian refugees, the global rise of human trafficking, and the migration of homeless youth. We are always looking ahead, and prepared for the future, and have established a reputation for our ability to embrace unique circumstances and solve complex problems.
Working in one of the most diverse communities in Canada, Peel CAS faces unique challenges. In just one example, proximity to Pearson International Airport and seven 400-series highways puts us on the front lines working with the Syrian refugees, the global rise of human trafficking, and the migration of homeless youth. We are always looking ahead, and prepared for the future, and have established a reputation for our ability to embrace unique circumstances and solve complex problems.
"It’s limitless what you can do for a child. This is the greatest thing I have ever done in my life. As a foster parent, I can’t stress enough the importance of the chance for us to be together. We can connect, we can learn from each other, and it would be so wonderful to have a place for that." "Every year at Peel Children’s Aid Foundation, we host a holiday event for families. It is so warm and memorable and a highlight of the year. On that one day, the whole community steps forward, without hesitation. We are one Peel, sharing food, music, celebration and togetherness, and looking ahead with excitement to a new year. The community hub concept is like that. We seek to extend that spirit of sharing, togetherness, mutual support, and creativity and make it our reality here 365 days a year." |
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Peel Children’s Aid stands at a crossroads. On one hand, our unique circumstances have made us innovate in ways unlike any other Children’s Aid Society across the country. On the other hand, the magnitude of increasing demands have placed considerable strain on our organization and the families that need us.
At present, Peel CAS leases offices in a multi-tenanted commercial building in west Mississauga (6860 Century Ave.), with just a small adjunct rental space in south Brampton. The atmosphere is cramped, institutional, and lacking in privacy, and some of our clients have described the environment as unwelcoming, rather than a place they would expect to receive support. We have reached the limit of our ability to use cubicles and other temporary measures to reconfigure the work spaces to accommodate our more than 550 employees.
At present, Peel CAS leases offices in a multi-tenanted commercial building in west Mississauga (6860 Century Ave.), with just a small adjunct rental space in south Brampton. The atmosphere is cramped, institutional, and lacking in privacy, and some of our clients have described the environment as unwelcoming, rather than a place they would expect to receive support. We have reached the limit of our ability to use cubicles and other temporary measures to reconfigure the work spaces to accommodate our more than 550 employees.
Highlights of the new space include:
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sq-ft life skills room
sq-ft community room for community events
sq-ft recreational facility for multiple sports
sq-ft permanent space for the 'Distribution Centre', where families can be provided with clothing, diapers, and other necessities
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"Space should not be the limiting factor in our hopes and dreams. This project is not only an anchor in our services, but an anchor in our commitment, our brand, our profile, and our leadership. As a region it elevates us in our municipal, federal, and provincial government and civic partnerships.
We see this project as just the beginning of Peel staking its claim as the leader. We can increase the scope of our impact, but it will ‘take a village’. This is really about incubating a network. We all need to be part of creating this vision for families in our community."
Juliet Jackson
Director, Culture And Inclusion,
Region Of Peel Board Chair,
Peel Children’s Aid
More than bricks and mortar: A sound fiscal decision
The site is a ‘dream’ location for the organizations current and future growth. It sits within walking distance to various transit options including GO Train and the new LRT. It is adjacent to the police station, close to the city centre, and the Peel Children’s Centre. It is easily accessible for the many community and multicultural organizations with whom we collaborate. It has all the building permits in place to enable anticipated future growth in the next 10 years, and it is ideally suited for the 110,000-square-foot space we imagine.
Because we are able to purpose-build a new site to our exact specifications, we have the potential to address a persistent problem through the construction of a community hub which literally and metaphorically extends our service to the community. The hub will provide a coherent point of entry to a range of programs not directly part of our core government mandate, but which we know are essential to creating a sense of belonging and ongoing support for the families we serve.
Now is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for this community, through the Foundation’s $5-million New Horizons Campaign, to add on at a modest incremental cost a vitally-needed community hub complete with meeting rooms for programs, a space for the Foundation's Distribution Centre, a sports complex and gymnasium, computer training and job search rooms, digital community information boards connecting families with housing, supports and information about events, and lounges and playrooms for families. Because we’re building from scratch, we can create the world we want, and ours can be among the most visionary facilities in the province.
Because we are able to purpose-build a new site to our exact specifications, we have the potential to address a persistent problem through the construction of a community hub which literally and metaphorically extends our service to the community. The hub will provide a coherent point of entry to a range of programs not directly part of our core government mandate, but which we know are essential to creating a sense of belonging and ongoing support for the families we serve.
Now is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for this community, through the Foundation’s $5-million New Horizons Campaign, to add on at a modest incremental cost a vitally-needed community hub complete with meeting rooms for programs, a space for the Foundation's Distribution Centre, a sports complex and gymnasium, computer training and job search rooms, digital community information boards connecting families with housing, supports and information about events, and lounges and playrooms for families. Because we’re building from scratch, we can create the world we want, and ours can be among the most visionary facilities in the province.
Our youth had a lot to say about the current space!
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“There were too many people in this tiny room for group tutoring to get high school equivalency. So limited, so fragmented, so hard to see and hear. And yet, of 28 people, only one did not graduate. Under these conditions! Imagine what would be possible in a proper room!”
(Alicia) “You want to preserve your connection to your cultural roots, meet and act with a community from the same cultural background.” (Christina) “When there are 60 to 70 kids cramming into a room trying to get help applying for jobs, instead of a great experience, it’s overwhelming. You just want to give up. It’s claustrophobic.” (Reshma) “A turning point for me was when Geoffrey took a group of us to Ottawa. We trained, we ran a marathon, and I won a medal. It was a gateway to meet other kids and imagine other possibilities like receiving a bursary I could use to continue my education.” (Dipesh) “For many youth in care, leaving care is when they struggle the most. I had no idea how to find an affordable place to live by myself. I didn’t know how to find services. I didn’t know about signing a lease. If there was a bigger network, I would know more about what was going on.” (Carolyn) |
If not us, who? If not now, when?
Our community stands on the cusp of an exciting adventure. The New Horizons Campaign for Peel CAS is about much more than bricks and mortar. It’s about creating a symbol of our commitment to families in Peel and to proactively shaping the future of the region.
This is a project which is fundamentally about values and vision, but that vision can’t take shape without the right location, the right building to define it, and the commitment of everyone in our community to bring this vision to life.
This is a project which is fundamentally about values and vision, but that vision can’t take shape without the right location, the right building to define it, and the commitment of everyone in our community to bring this vision to life.
With this campaign, Peel CAS can:
- Mitigate the liability of the rental market in the GTA
- Ensure financial stability and sustainability
- Consolidate fragmented services under one roof, increasing accessibility and organizational efficiency
- Have a space that better reflects the diversity of the community we serve
- Enhance our ability to keep families together
- Support youth transitioning from care into adulthood
- Help youth link to jobs and higher education
- Create 'belonging' among community members
- Build the Foundation's profile in the community and garner greater donor support
