One Vision One Voice Creating African Canadian Affinity Groups: …onevisiononevoice.ca/.../African-Canadian-Affinity-Group-Framework-… · Affinity groups include homogeneous groups,

One Vision One Voice Creating African Canadian Affinity Group: A Framework

Changing the Ontario child welfare system to better serve African Canadians

One Vision One Voice

Creating African Canadian Affinity Groups: A Framework for Children’s Aid Societies

African Canadian Child Welfare

Affinity Groups


What is an affinity group?

A ffinity groups consist of individuals or employees sharing a common characteristic, trait, or interest in order to discuss issues of shared identity (Segal, 2013) The empowered can ignore or walk away from conversations about race, while the

disempowered must confront racial issues on a daily basis (Singleton & Linton, 2006) Affinity groups provide emotional support or potential resources for employees (Douglas, 2008) Gathering persons sharing similar experiences and challenges provides an important feeling of unity. Affinity groups provide participants the opportunity to discuss emotional topics related to sharing identity characteristics such as race, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs, not readily available during work related discussions (Michael & Conger, 2012). Affinity groups include homogeneous groups, comprising of individuals sharing the same identity characteristic such as an African American affinity group, where all members must identify as African American. Heterogeneous groups include individuals with the same identity characteristic in addition to allies. Allies include supporters for equal rights, and gender or racial equality that do not share the unique characteristic of the group. Groups formed on the basis of affinity offer members greater support than groups that did not share similar bonds (Meenai, 2003) Affinity group purpose falls into two categories: emotional and instrumental The emotional purpose of an affinity group allows for an expressive outlet on highly sensitive topics. For instance, Parsons and Ridley (2012) claim “the relationships students gain through race-based affinity groups enable them to feel less alone with their emotions and help them build a stronger sense of self” (p. 40). Instrumental affinity groups move beyond emotional outlets to consider the actions needed to accomplish specific goals Companies such as Hewitt Packard, Microsoft, and Dell acknowledge the emotional purpose of affinity groups in retaining employees, and highlight the instrumental goals by sharing information, and increasing awareness of organizational policies and procedures (Lengnick-Hill, 2007).


Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Why does child welfare need an African Canadian Affinity Group? 5

What are the goals of an African Canadian Child Welfare Affinity

Group?

6

The Model: How can it work? 7

ACCWEN Framework 8

Recommended Guidelines to Support Affinity Groups within societies 9

ACCWEN Responsibilities for Youth Provincial Advisory Council 10

Terms of Reference Template for Provincial African Canadian Child

Welfare Affinity Group

11

ACCWEN Guiding Principles 14


Introduction “The values of whiteness are the water in which we all swim”

Kelsey Blackwell

We know that systems are not neutral. In child welfare One

Vision One Voice has been developed to address the

disparate outcomes and overrepresentation of African

Canadian children in care, that is a direct results of the non

neutrality of our system. To this end, we must also

acknowledge that in order to fully eliminate disparity and

overrepresentation for the African Canadian community, child

welfare must also turn inwards to look at and address the

disparity in employment experiences faced by staff of African

Canadian descent.

“In integrated spaces, patterns of white dominance are

inevitable. These patterns happen even when white people

are doing the work of examining their privilege. They can

happen even when facilitators design and model more

inclusive ways of being together. The values of whiteness

are the water in which we all swim. No one is immune. Those

values dictate who speaks, how loud, when, the words we

use, what we don’t say, what is ignored, who is validated and

who is not.” *

Affinity groups, are a recognized best practice approach to

inclusive work places. They bring together people with

something in common, this can be culture or race, gender

identity, interests or hobbies. This document lays out a

framework for a race-based affinity group in the child welfare

sector. Affinity groups can also be called: clubs, networking

groups, or employee resource groups.

By fostering an environment where affinity groups are able

to develop and group, Children's Aid Societies make it clear

that they are fully committed to hearing and addressing

concerns of staff who are often underserved and undervalued

within their place of work. If CASs across the province are

going to commit to equity and the elimination of

disproportionality for African Canadian families, they must

also make that same commitment to the African Canadian

staff they employ.

Affinity groups are effective organizations which can be

utilized to improve identified challenges within a CAS. For

example, a gender based affinity group for women, may

work to address improving the gender pay gap, or increasing

the number of women in leadership positions within an

organization.

https://arrow-journal.org/author/ArrowDeveloper/


Why does child welfare

need an African Canadian

affinity group?

In November 2018, One Vision One Voice held the first ever,

African Canadian child welfare staff symposium, All In!

Experiences shared at the symposium revealed that African

Canadian staff within the sector uniformly felt (to name a

few):

• Isolated

• Unheard

• De-professionalized/De-skilled

• Limited in career advancement opportunities

• Emotionally burdened by persistent microaggressions

• Silenced

• Afraid to speak up

Additionally concerning, when surveyed at All In!: 79% of attendees expressed that that they had experienced anti-Black racism within their Children’s Aid Society (place of work). 84% shared that they have experienced anti-Black racism from service users (including use of the N-word) and/or community partners in the context t of their employment (ex: Judges, Police). Teachers, Lawyers, Clients).

Providing staff with a way to collectivize, discuss these issues

and problem solve ways to address them can enable the

sector to grow more fully towards One Vision One Voice Race

Equity Practice 8, which identifies supporting African

Canadian staff to organize and participate in African

Canadian staff groups and province wide initiatives as a key

tactic.


What are the goals of an

African Canadian Child

Welfare group? • Connect with community. One Vision One Voice

believes African Canadian child welfare staff make up

roughly one third of the child welfare staff in the

province. This means that in many agencies Black staff

are often the only racialized person in the agency. Even

when they are not, the structure and working systems

within child welfare have been developed within White

European colonial context, this means that African

Canadian staff are experiencing systemic and anti-Black

racism with no where to turn. Being able to connect to

colleagues dealing with the same concerns provides a

safe sounding board and an opportunity for staff to

strategize solutions

• Deepen relationships and find mentors. We know

that lack of advancement and being persistently passed

over for promotion is a particular concern for African

Canadian staff. When they do get to leadership roles,

they are often isolated as the only Black person at the

table. This often leads to feeling silenced. An Affinity

Group will provide opportunities for mentorship and an

opportunity for staff to lean on and support each other

when necessary.

• Gain knowledge. Knowledge sharing and transfer for

African Canadian staff, means that by connecting they

can improve their practice skills and create

opportunities for themselves in their careers

• Find leadership opportunities. An African Canadian

affinity group charged with initiating programs, the All

In event and organizing speakers or activities, is a

visible way for staff to show leadership and gain

leadership skills that can be leveraged beyond the

affinity group in their day to day and career. The

affinity group is therefore a potential source of

professional development.

• Implement changes and improvements. One of the

most important roles of the African Canadian Child

Welfare Employee Network will be to collectively voice

concerns that African Canadian staff are dealing with

within the sector and hold sector leadership accountable

in addressing the concerns.

• Connect with community and Local Advisory

Councils. To understand the trends at a high level

regarding what is impacting the African Canadian

community.

• Connect with African Canadian Youth Provincial

Advisory Council (YPAC). ACCWEN should operate

using an Afrocentric approach and ensure connection to

Black youth within their CAS’ and provincially in order to

ensure that they are receiving relevant programing etc.

and that they have African Canadian role models able to

mentor and lead them effectively.


The Model: How Does It Work

• Regular meetings

• Two way sharing of information regarding African Canadian staff concerns

ACCWEN– Central ACCWEN—South West ACCWEN— Eastern ACCWEN—Grand River ACCWEN—Northern

CAS based

affinity group

Regular Meetings Sharing of Information with African Canadian staff WITHOUT a CAS based Affinity Group

Ontario African Canadian Child

Welfare Employee Network (O-

ACCWEN) Co-Chairs

ACCWEN Zone Co-Leads

All African Canadian Child Welfare Employees

Regular meetings Two way sharing of information for African Canadian staff WITH a CAS based affinity group

• Works to deliver ALL IN! Black African Canadian Staff symposium annually

OACAS Equity, Diversity and

Inclusion Director

YPAC/BLACK YOUTH


ACCWEN FRAMEWORK

Ontario African Canadian Child Welfare Employee

Network (O ACCWEN)

All African Canadian child welfare staff should be a

member of the Ontario African Canadian Child Welfare

Employee Network (O ACCWEN)

O ACCWEN would consist of two chair persons

O ACCWEN co-chairs should have regular meetings/

contact with the OACAS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Director

O ACCWENs primary responsibility would be to:

• Filter/share information on behalf of African

Canadian staff with the OACAS Diversity, Equity

and Inclusion Director

• Share and advocate on behalf of Blacks staff to

the OACAS

• Connect only to zone co-leads to obtain

information from Black staff

• Provide support (where possible) to the OACAS

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Director for the

OACAS to hold an All In! African Canadian Child

Welfare Employee Symposium annually

ACCWEN by Zones

Zone based ACCWEN groups should also be created

• ACCWEN Central

• ACCWEN Southwest

• ACCWEN Northern and Northeast)

• ACCWEN Eastern

• ACCWEN Grand River

Each ACCWEN Zone can have two co-leads to

coordinate zone based meetings, teleconferences etc.

Zone Co-Leads should be in regular contact with the O

ACCWEEN Co-Chairs, to share updates and information.

Contact can be via email, in person or via

teleconference

Zone Co-Leads should also be in contact with African

Canadian staff in their zone, either directly or through a

societies existing or newly created African Canadian

Affinity group

CAS African Canadian Affinity Groups Some societies may choose to have, or already have,

their own existing CAS African Canadian Affinity

group. These groups are integral to ensuring that

African Canadian staff within societies have a safe and

supportive work environment.

Societies that have existing or newly created African

Affinity group, should continue to build and support

these groups.

Existing or newly created society based African

Canadian affinity groups should always be the first

point of contact for African Canadian staff

Societies that do not have their own African Canadian

affinity group, should always direct Black staff to their

zone co-leads who can arrange zone based meetings

for Black staff in those areas


An important distinction should be made between an African

Canadian affinity group and the benefits of affinity groups

and unions, which exist in whole part for the purpose

of dealing with the grievances or labor disputes or representi

ng members in their employment relationship. Instead,

affinity groups create community among staff and provide

opportunities for networking and development.

What should employees do if they wish to set up

an Affinity Group within their society?

Employees wishing to set up an African Canadian CAS based

affinity group or an ACCWEN Zone based group should

consult their CAS HR and Leadership team to find out what

the process for setting up affinity groups. If there is no

existing policy One Vision One Voice recommends the

following process:

1. Employees meet with HR and Leadership at the society

to express their desire in setting up and Affinity group

OR leadership can proactively arrange a meeting with

African Canadian employees to gauge interest in setting

up a group.

2. Co-leads for the group should be selected

3. Ontario ACCWEN co-chairs should be notified of the

following:

• The name of the group

• Name of the CAS or zone based Co-Leads

• The number of African Canadian Employees

the group serve, and provide:

4. The group should develop a Terms of Reference using

the template on pages 11-14 of this document.

5. A communication should be sent to all CAS staff

explaining the purpose of the group

How can Senior Leadership provide support to

affinity groups? CAS Supervisors, Directors of Service and Executive

Directors as well as all members of CAS senior leadership

teams are encouraged to:

1. Recognizing and encouraging the formation and

continued development and engagement of African

Canadian affinity groups.

2. Allowing a reasonable amount of time for co-leads to

devote to planning initiatives and activities for the

affinity group

3. Ensuring the affinity group is highlighted and mentioned

as part of new staff orientation and on other

communication channels

4. Reimbursement of expenses as coordinated and

delivered through CAS HR policies

Recommended Guidelines to Support Affinity

Groups within societies


ACCWEN and the Youth Provincial

Advisory Council (YPAC)

Populations of African descent across the

globe place a strong emphasis on showing

reverence and respect to elders within the

community.

A true Afrocentric approach considers this

and ensures that elders are present at the

table to provide mentorship and guidance

to African Canadian youth. As such,

ACCWEN leadership, either zone based for

those zones that do not have CAS based

affinity groups and CAS based for those

that do, should take the lead in organizing

their Zone and Local YPAC affiliate groups.

ACCWEN Responsibilities for YPAC:

• Zone Co-Leads will be responsible for

engaging African Canadian Youth in

their zone, where there is not existing

CAS based Affinity Group.

• Where there is a CAS based affinity

group, that affinity group should also

develop a CAS based YPAC and

actively engage and mentor Black

youth in care.

Please refer to the YPAC

Framework for more information

on how YPAC should be organized


Terms of Reference Template 1 of 3

This terms of reference template can be modified and edited to fit the needs of each CAS Affinity Group, Zone based ACCWEN:

African Canadian Child Welfare Employee Network (ACCWEN)

Terms of Reference

Purpose

The African Canadian Child Welfare Employee Network (ACCWEN) is an affinity group for all staff who identify as African Canadian. The purpose of the group is to act as a place where African Canadian staff can convene for support, as well as collectivize to address issues that uniquely affect Black staff working in child welfare, includ-ing at indigenous CASs.

Mandate and Role

• Enable African Canadian Child Welfare employees to share work related issues of common interest and concerns in a safe environment

• Provide a source of mutual support and an opportunity to identify solutions and improvements for these issues with employees and collectively with leadership

• Be a source of information and expertise on African Canadian employee service delivery and issues

• Work with OACAS Equity Team/One Vision One Voice to lead annual All In! African Canadian Child Welfare Staff Employee Symposium

• Ensure that the OACAS Equity Council, AOP Roundtable and Equity leads and Executive Directors at local societies are made aware of relevant issues and concerns for African Canadian child welfare employees

Assist in the identification of training needs, advise on the provision of courses to address gaps in experiences for African Canadian staff

Scope

ACCWEN Will:

• Share knowledge, experiences and concerns pertaining to African Canadian Child Welfare staff

• Address issues, concerns and experiences of Black staff at Society level, leveraging Society equity Tables

• Champion concerns and issues raised by African Canadian staff

• Meet with OACAS Director of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity in the form of regular meetings to bring con-cerns or initiatives to the table and develop a plan to address the challenges faced by Black staff




Membership:

Membership in ACCWEN is on a voluntary basis. All African Canadian staff working in the child welfare sector in Ontario, regardless of their position (front-line, admin-istrative, leadership etc.) can join an ACCWEN.

ACCWEN members must:

• Have African ancestry

• Identity as African Canadian/Black

Be employed by a Children’s Aid Society or an indigenous Children’s Aid Society in Ontario or Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Society

ACCWEN Structure

There are three tiers to ACCWEN:

• Ontario African Canadian Child Welfare Employee Network: All staff are members but are represented by two co-chairs. These co-chairs liase regularly with the OACAS Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• Zone Based ACCWEN: Society staff where there is NOT a CAS based Affinity group for Black staff will join a Zone based ACCWEN. Each Zone based ACCWEN will have two co-leads.

CAS Affinity Groups: One Vision One Voice, encourages individual CASs to create African Canadian Affinity Groups. Where these groups exist. These groups are the main point of contact for Black staff. Leads within these groups can meet with their respective zone based co-leads as decided. (See page 7 and 8 of the One Vision One Voice: Creating African Canadian Affinity Group: A Framework document for more details).

Meetings

• ACCWEN – Ontario should meet with Zone based ACCWEN co-leads at least monthly or every other month to share issues, compare concerns plans or initiatives. Attendance will be available in person, teleconference, or other electronic means.

• Frequency of meetings will be determined by the ACCWEN co-chairs and Zone based co-leads

• Zone based Co-leads should meet with staff who do not have a CAS based Affinity group regularly (meetings can be in person or via teleconference)

• Zone based co-leads should also meet with the leads of any CAS based Affinity groups within their zone.

• CAS affinity groups should decide on their own structure to meet with staff but should also ensure that they are connecting regularly co-leads for their zone.

• A full ACCWEN meeting will take place annually in the form of the All In! Symposium, led by the Director, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.




Quorum and Decision-Making

• Quorum shall be 50% of full members.

• Recommendations and decisions are determined by consensus of present members, assuming quorum.

• Decisions and recommendations on which there is no consensus should be brought forward for a recorded vote.

Governance

• ACCWEN will operate using a co-chair model, potentially consisting of one OACAS Equity/OVOV chair and one co-chair from a Society

• ACCWEN co-chair should represent intersection of Black identities

• ACCWEN membership will self-nominate or nominate one of several candidates amongst the membership to act as chair.

ACCWEN Co-chairs will meet regularly with the OACAS Equity Director who will in turn relay findings, concerns, initiatives etc. to the Equity of outcomes strategic council

ACCWEN Responsibilities for YPAC:

• Zone Co-Leads will be responsible for engaging African Canadian Youth in their zone, where there is not existing CAS based Affinity Group.

• Where there is a CAS based affinity group, that affinity group should also develop a CAS based YPAC and actively engage and mentor Black youth in care.


ACCWEN GUIDING PRINCIPLES

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Analyzing Power (Power Analysis)

Through the analysis of institutional power, ACCWEN commits to identifying and unpacking the systems of oppression for Black staff. As well, ACCWEN acknowl-edges that like other Canadian institutions, child welfare agencies have evolved within an historical context of white supremacy, colonialism, and anti-Black racism, all of which have been woven into the fabric of child welfare policies and practices, leading to the creation of long-standing disproportionalities and disparities for

African Canadian and Indigenous communities.

Listening

ACCWEN commits to making space to listen and solicit feedback from all members of the African Canadian child welfare sector in Ontario. ACCWEN commits to prioritize listening to the experiences of LBGT2SQ, members of religious minority groups, ability, as told by them.

Appreciation & Gratitude

Appreciation and gratitude for the whole of each other’s personhood. ACCWEN commits to respecting and nurturing all the intersections of blackness that make up each member. ACCWEN will resist arrogance and judgement, be willing to share weaknesses, will call each other out, and celebrate each other often


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Documents

One Vision One Voice Creating African Canadian Affinity Groups: …onevisiononevoice.ca/.../African-Canadian-Affinity-Group-Framework-… · Affinity groups include homogeneous groups,