George Brown College's Child and Youth Care program (formerly the Child and Youth Worker program) combines best practice principles and a relational approach that is anchored in the values of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Counsellors' Code of Ethics.
Students learn to engage purposefully and effectively with children, adolescents and families who struggle with emotional, behavioural and developmental challenges that impair their abilities to relate to others. Specific focus is on recognizing the impact of mental health challenges on children and youth. Students learn to translate theory into practice to move at-risk youth from risk to resilience.
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Develop and maintain relationships with children, youth and their families applying principles of relational practice and respecting their unique life space, cultural and human diversity.
- Assess and respond to the strengths and needs of children and youth, including complex responses impacted by developmental, environmental, physical, emotional, social and mental health challenges in order to promote positive change.
- Analyze and evaluate the impact of the inter-relationship among family, social service, justice and community systems on children, youth and their families and use this information in the planning of holistic care and in the reduction of systemic barriers.
- Plan, implement and evaluate interventions using evidence‐informed practices in the areas of therapeutic milieu and programming, and group work to promote resiliency and to enhance development in children, youth and their families.
- Advocate for the rights of children, youth and their families and maintain an anti-oppression perspective and cultural competence in diverse cultural contexts.
- Apply communication, teamwork and organizational skills within the interprofessional team and with community partners to enhance the quality of service in child and youth care practice.
- Develop and implement self-care strategies using self-inquiry and reflection processes to promote self-awareness and to enhance practice as a child and youth care practitioner.
- Use evidence-based research, professional development resources and supervision models to support professional growth and lifelong learning.
