The beginnings of Child and Youth Work (formerly Child Care Work) in the province of Ontario are rooted at Thistletown Hospital, Toronto.  In 1957 the hospital was established as a treatment and teaching hospital to care for “emotionally disturbed” children with a wide range of needs and disabilities. The act of survival for all was the  main thrust of intervention. Together staff and first Child Care Worker students developed skills and concepts centered primarily around “milieu therapy.” Lon Lawson, Ken Stewart, Dr Alderton, Dr, Atcheson were names associated with the early training. 
 

The Warrendale crisis  September 1966 proved to be a turning point that provided recognition for the C.C.W.’s.  This was the first event witnessed by the provincial government that supported a need for trained professionals to work frontline with difficult children and youth.  Community-based residential treatment was established to handle any and all needy children and youth.
 

Since 1967, non-residential forms of treatment have been steadily developed. For example, in 1968, the Ottawa Youth Services Bureau hired Child Care Workers from the Royal Ottawa Hospital program to care for the clients in their residence and street-work programs. New theories and skills were developed, practiced and adapted to a wide range of intervention programs.
 

In 1971, the ministry of education supported the formation of a provincial advisory committee for Child Care Worker programs in C.A.A.T.’s Algonquin College started the two year program in 1971. Skills  identification through the DACUM process (1975) framed over five hundred skills that formed the basis of course materials.
 

During the evolution of programs at the colleges, there was little standardization and as a result,  programs across the system varied from 2 years to 2.5 years to 3 years. In 1985 the province of Ontario decided to standardize all the programs to three years in length. At the same time the program name for all colleges was changed from Child Care Work to Child and Youth Worker.

 The following values/beliefs are emphasized in the Algonquin College Child and Youth Worker program:
 
Commitment to a Comprehensive Program
Students must have a diversified range of knowledge, skills and attitudes as outlined by curriculum requirements.
Critical Thinking
Students must be exposed to many different ideologies, perspectives and strategies that facilitate a processing of information and promote insight/creativity.
Nurturing Skills
Students will appreciate that the “caring” dimension of Child and Youth Work is of paramount importance.
Cultural Diversity
Students will promote the richness of cultural diversity in both therapeutic and informal work situations.
Unconditional Positive Regard
Students will develop an objective attitude toward others by respecting and appreciating needs and circumstances.
Professionalism
Students will develop their professional identity through training, multi-disciplinary contacts and involvement in the Child and Youth Counsellors Association of Ontario.
Continuing Education
Students will understand the dynamic nature of Child and Youth Work and pursue life long learning.
Articulation
Students will effectively communicate to clients, co-workers and the community.
 

Primary Level Ideologies/Theories
The program is fuelled by three principal ideologies/theories
Humanistic
The focus is on development through an atmosphere of genuineness, positive regard and empathy. The uniqueness of the individual and his/her perceptions form the basis for all interaction. There is respect for the learner/person’s subjective experience and a trust in the capacity of the learner/person to make positive and constructive conscious choices. The learner utilizes his/her knowledge, skills and attitudes with the person(s) that they are connected with.
Cognitive-Behavioral
A new direction in both programming and counselling that emphasizes the importance of observable measurable behavior and mental factors that influence behavior. Such an approach allows the Child and Youth Worker to fully measure behavior through important behavioral techniques yet still treat a client individually and as a whole person.
Reality Therapy
A process for intervention developed by William Glasser to help people define, refine, and clarify goals. Clients assume ownership for behaviors without the worker making judgments, interpreting behavior, recalling past repetitions or elaborating on what was seen. Emphasis is always placed on responsibility/commitment and consequences of actions.
Secondary Level Theories
The program is supported by the following theories:
Family Therapy
The primary focus is on the systems model of family therapy and the understanding of the role that the Child and Youth Worker plays in family support and preservation. An emphasis is placed on family experiences as they relate to child management, patterns of interaction, boundaries, needs and stressors.
Structural Functionalism
The sociological model which portrays society as harmonious and as based on consensus. Its three major ideas are function, equilibrium and development.
Conflict
The sociological model that portrays society as marked by competition and/or exploitation. Its three major concepts include power, disharmony and revolution
Symbolic Interactionalism
The sociological model that postulates that individuals subjectively define and interpret their environments. In the model, these personal interpretations and definitions are used to explain individual behavior.
Feminist Perspective
Given the diversity of feminist philosophies, the orientation in the Child and Youth Worker program encompasses ideas from numerous sources. The focus for the learner is on concepts of oppression, power and choice. The social responsibility and individual actions/attitudes of the learner are encouraged; this promotes egalitarianism and competency.
The Ongoing Overall Learning Currents of the program are:
Therapeutic Programming
Programming provides students with a battery of tools to systematically assess the strengths and needs of clients. Program plans based on cognitive-behavioral ideology are carefully designed to maximize a prescribed therapeutic direction. Students become creative  in finding and/or developing sound methodologies and materials. Most importantly C.Y.W. are accountable through their ability to objectify a programming process i.e. charts, graphs observation notes, recommendations.
Frontline Counselling and Intervention
Training and understanding focus on a continuum of development for interviewing and counselling  children, youth and families. Micro skill training, crisis intervention training, group and family support work are specialized areas. The students/graduates prepare for work in the areas of prevention, early intervention and post intervention.
Advocacy
Advocacy in Child and Youth Work means that the worker is an instrumental figure in facilitating the life direction of a client. How well he or she creates personal, vocational and leisure opportunities for clients will rest largely on interpersonal skills, community contacts and the overall confidence in client abilities.
Personal Growth
A primary focus of the program is to assist the student in developing personal awareness. Individual interviews with faculty during orientation week in year one sensitize students to the importance of identifying personal goals, skills, strengths/ needs and to initiate a self discovery process. Peer matching, small group work, curriculum design and exercises consistently promote opportunities for each student to identify “who they are” and what they have to offer in the therapeutic relationship.

For extensive information from the college website , click here.or contact Jean Sauve,  Program Coordinator 
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