Welcome to our
Annual Report 2024-25

Building a Stronger Future Together

This year, the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO) continued to deepen our commitment to equity, inclusion, and collaboration in everything we do. Guided by our commitment to culturally responsive service, we strengthened internal capacity and external partnerships to better meet the diverse needs of children, youth, and families.

We celebrated and elevated the voices of young people through recognition events and youth-led initiatives that honoured their lived experiences. We also deepened our commitment to fostering belonging by acknowledging the vital contributions of foster, adoptive, kin families and by expanding our efforts to recruit, engage, and support them.

In the pages ahead you will find stories, data, and highlights that reflect our collective journey, one grounded in partnership and guided by the belief that every child and youth deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported.

Welcome to our
Annual Report 2024-25

Building a Stronger Future Together

This year, the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa (CASO) continued to deepen our commitment to equity, inclusion, and collaboration in everything we do. Guided by our commitment to culturally responsive service, we strengthened internal capacity and external partnerships to better meet the diverse needs of children, youth, and families.

We celebrated and elevated the voices of young people through recognition events and youth-led initiatives that honoured their lived experiences. We also deepened our commitment to fostering belonging by acknowledging the vital contributions of foster, adoptive, kin families and by expanding our efforts to recruit, engage, and support them.

In the pages ahead you will find stories, data, and highlights that reflect our collective journey, one grounded in partnership and guided by the belief that every child and youth deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported.

Kelly Raymond
Executive Director, CASO

Message from the Executive Director

This year’s theme, Building a Stronger Future Together, reflects The Children’s Aid Societies belief that the future of child welfare must be shaped through collaboration, equity, and care. I am proud to share the work we’ve done to strengthen families, deepen community partnerships, and create safer, more inclusive systems of support.

Equity is a guiding force in every part of our service delivery. Through the work of our Black Services Unit, the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Pod and Forum, the Queer Forum, and our new accessibility planning efforts, we’ve seen what’s possible when services are shaped with communities, not simply for them. These initiatives are helping to build trust, promote healing, and break down barriers that have too long impacted those overrepresented in the system.

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Young people remained at the center of our work. From the return of the Youth Recognition Awards to Have a Heart Day and our 2SLGBTQIA+ community celebrations, we honoured youth leadership, voice, and identity. These moments reminded us how critical it is to create spaces where young people feel seen, safe, and celebrated.

None of this would have been possible without our dedicated staff. Whether through Wellness Day 2025 or their many quiet, everyday acts of care and connection, CASO staff have brought warmth, compassion, and courage to their work. In a year of change and growth, they helped sustain a culture of belonging and for that I remain incredibly grateful.

As we look to the future, we know that progress depends on how well we work together within CASO, across sectors, and most importantly, in partnership with children, youth, and families. To our staff, our partners, and our community: thank you. Your commitment is helping to shape a stronger, more responsive future for everyone we serve.

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Anna Tosto
Board Chair

Message from the Board Chair

It has been another incredibly busy year at CASO. As each year does, this past year presented its own unique challenges, but as we all know; challenges create opportunities. CASO continues to face funding pressure, yet our team of talented and compassionate staff persevere. At all levels of the organization there is renewed commitment, despite the pressures, to provide the best service possible to the children, youth, and families of our community.

Looking forward to the coming year, CASO as a whole and the Board in particular, will be focusing on community; building stronger relationships with the community and reaching out to help the community better understand the critical work that CASO does with families. By being more visible within the communities we serve, a better understanding of our mandate will hopefully emerge, allowing us to provide continually improved services.

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I am so proud of and so honoured to be part of The Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa. Each member of our Board of Directors has provided thoughtful stewardship, unwavering commitment to our mission and steadfast dedication this past year. They have been instrumental in guiding us through a year of transformation and I extend my sincere thanks to them. Equally, and on behalf of our Board, I want to express my deepest gratitude to our senior leadership and staff at CASO. Every day they bring their empathy, professionalism and resourcefulness to the families we serve. Words are inadequate to express my admiration for their ability to put the children, youth and families that they serve first. Thank you.

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Lights, Camera, Affirmation

The Youth Recognition Awards made their much anticipated return this year, offering meaningful space for young people in care to be recognized on their own terms. The evening honoured youth who’ve shown resilience, leadership, personal growth, and advocacy – often in the face of immense challenges.

Youth in care often miss out on the traditional celebrations and milestones their peers may take for granted due to circumstances outside of their control. The Youth Recognition Awards creates space for them to reclaim those moments, with full hearts and fabulous style. With the evening’s Hollywood theme, youth arrived dressed to the nines, proudly flanked by family and friends, chosen family, and their workers. The certificates, flowers, and photos weren’t just symbols of celebration, they were cherished affirmations. As the night wrapped and the music played on, youth continued celebrating each other with pride proving just how vital these moments of recognition truly are.

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A Call for Care, A Celebration of Commitment

This year, CASO deepened its commitment to building a strong and diverse network of foster, kin, and adoptive families. Amid an urgent, province-wide shortage of foster care providers, we’ve focused on finding care that honours the identities, cultures, languages, and lived experiences of the children and youth we serve. While our goal is always to keep children connected to their families and communities, foster care providers play a vital role when this isn’t possible, offering stability, safety, and love during critical moments of transition.

During Foster Family Appreciation Week, we celebrated caregivers like the Merkley family, who have fostered 23 children over 13 years. Their story is one of deep connection, empathy, and long-term relationships not only with children but with birth families, highlighting what it means to be a foster care provider. As Melanie Merkley puts it: “We’re not just fostering a child, we’re fostering relationships.” Their openness and dedication to the best possible outcome for the young people placed in their care are a powerful reminder that foster care is not just about providing shelter, it’s about shaping futures.

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Explore our annual report

Service Data

Dive into the data revealing trends in intake, service delivery, care arrangements, and cultural identity in CASO’s latest Service Data report.

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Initiatives

Centring equity in our work, honouring youth achievements through meaningful engagement, and building community through the support and recognition of caregivers.

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Financials

Explore the detailed financial table of the last fiscal year, reflecting our commitment to transparency and responsible stewardship of resources.

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