Annual Report 2024/25
Table of contents
Board Chair Message Salim Zulfikar Somani
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CEO Message Lisa Tomlinson
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Our messages
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Our workplace
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Our Service delivery
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Our operations
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2024-2025 by the numbers
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Board of Directors
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Financial summary
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CEO Message LISA TOMLINSON CEO Message
Dear CAST Community, It is a privilege to share this message as Board Chair of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CAST), reflecting on a year marked by strategic renewal, organizational resilience, and strong governance—grounded in our unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for the children, youth and families we serve. One of the most significant milestones this year was the development of CAST’s new five-year strategic plan. This plan will set a clear and focused direction for the Agency, anchored in a commitment to operational and Service excellence, strong collaboration and partnerships, and the continued development of CAST’s exceptional staff and leadership. I offer my sincere thanks and congratulations to the Board and CAST’s senior leadership for championing a collaborative, consultative, and data informed strategic planning process. Over the past 12 months, the Board has also continued to prioritize strengthening governance practices and leadership capacity. Members engaged in meaningful learning and development opportunities, including Board orientation, our annual retreat, and participation in CAST staff events such as Black History Month, PRIDE, and Indigenous Peoples Day all of which deepen our understanding of the evolving child welfare landscape and better inform our strategic oversight. These experiences have enriched the Board’s ability to offer thoughtful, informed, and effective leadership. Our close collaboration with the Executive and Strategic Leadership Teams remained a cornerstone of our work this year. Together, we ensured that our strategic direction and operational priorities remained aligned which reinforced our shared commitment to high-quality Service delivery while navigating the complexities of financial sustainability and sector-wide challenges. As one team, I am confident we will continue to meet these challenges viewing each not as an obstacle, but as a collaborative opportunity for growth and impact. Board Chair Message Salim Zulfikar Somani
Lisa Tomlinson
Dear CAST Community, As I reflect on the past fiscal year as Chief Executive Officer, I am filled with gratitude and pride for the resilience, compassion and dedication that continues to be demonstrated by our staff, leadership and Board of Directors here at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CAST). The 2024–25 year focused on strategic renewal, and operational and Service needs, and financial sustainability, all of which positioned our Agency to meet both current challenges and future opportunities. A significant accomplishment for the year was the development of our new five-year Strategic Plan. Built in partnership with the Board of Directors and informed by our staff, community and sector partners, the plan focuses on operational and Service excellence, strong partnerships, and the growth and development of our people. It sets a bold but achievable path forward for CAST and we are excited to bring this plan to life through the development and implementation of our Key Performance Indicators in the coming months. In light of our Agency’s deficit, we continued to focus our efforts on strengthening our financial sustainability while fulfilling the operational and Service needs of the organization. Recognizing the importance of long term viability, our leadership and their teams realigned resources, reduced costs and explored opportunities to maximize funding and revenue in support of Service delivery. We also continued working closely with our partners at the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to fulfill CAST’s mandate and adapt to shifting funding and service realities. Our commitment to the well-being of children, youth and families remained at the core of everything we do. We continued to build innovative and impactful partnerships with community agencies, sector peers, and intersecting systems such as health and education. CAST played a leadership role in local and regional collaborations
We were pleased to welcome new members to CAST’s Board of Directors, whose diverse perspectives and experiences have already brought fresh insights and strengthened our collective leadership. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Board members who completed their terms this year and have chosen to renew for another term. Your continued dedication and leadership leave a lasting impact on our work and mission. To the CAST Executive Team and staff, thank you for your professionalism, compassion, and relentless focus on supporting Toronto’s children, youth and families. I also wish to acknowledge the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services for their continued partnership, along with the many community organizations that collaborate with us in service of our shared mission. As we look ahead, I remain grounded in hope. A hope born not of idealism, but of the real and resilient spirit I have witnessed across CAST. Whether it is the commitment of our staff, the courage of the families we support, or the resolve of our community partners, hope continues to guide our vision for a better future for Toronto’s children and youth. It is a quiet but powerful thread running through all that we do. Thank you for your ongoing support and for standing with us in this vital work of improving the quality of lives of the children and families we serve. Sincerely,
aimed at improving outcomes for children and youth with complex needs, including those with autism. Alongside these efforts we advanced prevention-focused initiatives to support best outcomes for families, which was made possible through our community partnerships and the Teddy Bear grant in partnership with Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada. Externally, CAST elevated its voice and visibility to advocate for children and families across Toronto. Through media engagement, sector advocacy and digital channels, we raised awareness about the many ways CAST intersects with important social issues, such as human trafficking, intimate partner violence and mental health. Further, together with six other GTA agencies, we launched the first-ever regional Foster Caregiver recruitment campaign to help meet the growing needs for more Foster Caregivers. Thank you to the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies for their partnership, support and advocacy at the provincial level for the sector and those we serve. I also want to extend my deepest gratitude to our staff, Board members, volunteers, caregivers and community partners. Your resilience, compassion and dedication are what make delivering our mission possible. As we look to the year ahead, we remain committed to working together in support of children, youth and families in every corner
of our city. Sincerely,
Salim Zulfikar Somani, FCPA, FCA Board Chair Children’s Aid Society of Toronto
Lisa Tomlinson Chief Executive Officer Children’s Aid Society of Toronto
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Our messages
Nancy Ansong-Danquah, Chief Operating Officer
This past year has been one of reflection, re- evaluation and recentring. It was a time to focus on our services aligned with our core mandate, strengthen our connection with communities, and lay the foundation for our Service delivery moving forward. I was honoured to be appointed as the permanent Chief Operating Officer during this time, and I remain committed to working alongside our staff, partners and communities to support meaningful outcomes for children, youth and families. Internally, we’ve expanded communication touch points and created more opportunities for ongoing staff feedback and collaboration. We’ve worked across teams to build clarity, share knowledge and implement key sector-wide changes, including Bill 188. At the same time, we’ve made important strides toward financial sustainability and explored new approaches “
to programming. Evolving our programming for youth and the work of our Equity Department reflects our commitment to innovation and to better meeting the needs of the communities we serve. Externally, we’ve deepened partnerships with organizations that share our values and vision. Through outreach with groups such as Victim Services, Central Family Intake, Yorktown and Strides, and through activities like our Community Resource Fair, we are re-establishing connections with local networks and increasing families’ access to timely, equitable and community-based support. Together, with the ongoing support of our Service staff and partners inside and outside of our Agency, these efforts have created the conditions for progress as we move forward with the implementation of our new Strategic Plan. ”
Keshwer Patel, Chief Financial Officer
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As I reflect on the 2024–25 fiscal year, Corporate Services played a pivotal role in strengthening the Agency’s infrastructure and enhancing overall effectiveness. A key achievement was the successful renegotiation of our Agency’s insurance policy, leveraging sector-wide discussions through the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies. This has resulted in significant cost savings while preserving essential coverage. The outcome was made possible through strong collaboration between our Finance and Legal teams, ensuring more favourable terms for the Agency. Corporate Services also led critical updates to our Enterprise Risk Management and Business Continuity plans, and implemented several enhancements to internal systems aimed at improving efficiency and responsiveness. These updates help ensure our teams have the tools and processes needed to support high quality Service delivery.
Financial sustainability remained a central focus in ensuring the Agency’s long-term viability. Like many child welfare organizations across the province, CAST continues to face considerable fiscal pressures, particularly in relation to boarding costs for children and youth with complex needs. Over the past year, our Finance Department worked closely with the Executive Team and leadership to deliver in-depth financial analysis and cash flow management strategies as well as financial sustainability strategies to help ensure that our approach remains both data-driven and responsive to the evolving needs of those we serve. We also supported the implementation of a range of cost-saving measures, always with our operational and Service priorities at the forefront. Looking ahead, our focus remains on supporting the Agency’s financial sustainability and making the necessary adjustments to align resources effectively, meet operational demands, and maintain Service excellence for children, youth and families. ”
Colin Hill, Chief Operating Officer
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After serving CAST as the Interim CHRO for over 2 years, I am absolutely delighted that as of September 2024, I now have the honour and privilege of leading our extraordinary Human
bolstered our resources and capabilities in HR operations, employee & labour relations, talent acquisition and workforce planning, organizational development and engagement, health and safety, and wellness. Once again, we have been recognized with the distinctions of: Greater Toronto’s Top Employers (13 years), Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (10 years) and Canada’s Best Employers for Recent Graduates (10 years). We will continue to partner with the union, management and all employees to maximize staff resiliency, capabilities, success and well-being, as they continue to embrace challenges, seize opportunities, and deliver astonishing outcomes for those we serve. ”
Resources Team as the permanent CHRO. As we continue to embark on a period of change, financial sustainability, transformation and strategic organizational evolution, we’re focused on ensuring that our exemplary employees are supported and enabled to provide services to the children, youth and families throughout Toronto. Over the past year, our Human Resources Team has worked to recognize and anticipate the evolving people, organizational and operational imperatives of CAST and align our focus and priorities accordingly. We have
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Our workplace
Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Initiatives At CAST, we’re dedicated to empowering our staff in equitable ways to further support and uphold our culture, of inclusivity, trust and high performance. By engaging with staff through events, training and committees, we aim to ensure that they feel valued, respected and heard. Our goal is to not only enhance individual experiences, but to build more cohesive teams that can best support the children, youth and families we serve. Highlights of these initiatives over the past year include:
Expansion of Mental Health Benefits, Wellness Sessions and Resources Throughout the year, we continued to focus on providing support and resources to build resilience, capability, flexibility and adaptability among our employees, especially in times of ongoing change. In partnership with Homewood Health, our Employee and Family Assistance Provider, we expanded the services and supports available to staff. This included the delivery of helpful Wellness Sessions such as Fundamentals of Change & Transition, Building Resilience, and Navigating Change, with additional topics and partners introduced in response to identified staff needs. We also began our transition to GreenShield as our new employee benefits carrier. GreenShield is well aligned with CAST’s values including its emphasis on EDI, community support, and mental health resources. Joint Union Management Workload Committee Over the past year, we have deepened our commitment to addressing workload challenges through meaningful collaboration with our union partners. The Joint Union Management Workload Committee, co-chaired by the Union President and Chief Operating Officer, brings together unionized and management staff to explore workload issues across the organization. As part of this work, we engaged staff from the Adoption team and the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre to gather feedback on workload-related issues, which is now informing a targeted action plan. To broaden our understanding, we also launched an Agency-wide engagement process with unionized staff, beginning with input on how they would like to participate. Peer led
focus groups emerged as the preferred format for open dialogue, complemented by an online survey to ensure everyone had a chance to contribute. These conversations provided space for staff to share current challenges, past strategies that have supported their work, and ideas for future solutions. Enhancing Employee Engagement Driven by our goal to enhance the employee experience at CAST, we continued to prioritize measuring staff engagement through our bi-annual engagement survey, Your Say. The survey identifies areas of strength and opportunities for growth and informs the development of key operational and strategic action plans. Results from the most recent survey confirmed an overall increase in employee engagement and satisfaction at CAST. Building Leadership Capabilities through Employee Development In 2024-25, we continued to foster a learning culture by investing in the development of our employees. Our Leadership Development Program offered essential skills, knowledge and experiences to both aspiring and current leaders. Training included sessions focused on building a coaching culture, high performing teams, employee engagement and wellness. These efforts laid a strong foundation as we prepare to evolve the next generation of employee learning and development to align with the challenges, complexities and strategic imperatives that will be identified in our upcoming Strategic Plan.
Workforce Census Survey Consistent with previous years, we conducted our semi-annual Workforce Census through the voluntary participation of staff in the Employment Equity Survey. The survey invites staff to share information about their demographic identities and provides updated data on the composition of our workforce. Results from the most recent Census indicate that we are achieving a workforce that closely reflects the demographics and diversity of Toronto. This information helps us evaluate progress on our Equity Hiring Strategy and Program and informs whether adjustments should be considered. Equity Hiring Strategy The Workforce Census provides updated demographic data to inform which positions are designated as equity based hires. This approach promotes diversity among job applicants and helps address historical systemic barriers to employment in Toronto. Over the past year, more than 40 per cent of applicants to our job postings self-identified as part of an equity deserving group, demonstrating the success of our efforts to increase representation within our workplace. U nion Management Equity Committee Throughout 2024-25, the Union Management Equity Committee (UMEC) continued to play a key role in guiding the operational implementation of our Equity Hiring Strategy and work plans. UMEC provided insights and
advice on systematizing equity-focused work across all Branches and Departments, as well as aligning individual Branch work plans with organizational goals. Through gathering suggestions and feedback, the collaborative effort helped ensure that equity remains a shared responsibility throughout our Agency. Branch Equity Committees Over the past year, Branch Equity Committees (BECs) continued to collect Branch and Department specific input and feedback to inform broader organizational efforts and enhance our Service delivery. These committees have played a key role in fostering equity, diversity and inclusion among staff by supporting the creation of a culture that encourages intentional and regular equity discussions. Employee Resource Groups As part of our ongoing efforts to create more spaces for equity deserving groups to connect in a structured, inclusive and formalized way, we expanded our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) through the addition of four new groups this year. These employees led groups are formed around shared interests, backgrounds and opportunities and serve as important channels for connection and dialogue. Now more than one third of all CAST employees are members of at least one ERG, highlighting the strong engagement and meaningful role these groups play across the organization.
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Our Service Delivery
Male Engagement Workers In the fall of 2024 the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services approved a two-year grant for our Agency to partner with Catholic Family Services, Catholic Children’s Aid Society, Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, and Jewish Family and Child Service to expand engagement with male caregivers in Intimate Partner Violence and Gender-Based Violence related child welfare cases through the addition of three Male Engagement Workers (MEWs). MEWs will work alongside our staff to support safe father-child engagement, enhance accountability, and promote positive behavioural change through direct support, counselling, group facilitation, staff training, and collaboration with protection teams. The initiative aims to build staff capacity, increase early engagement with male-identifying caregivers, and help create safer, more supportive outcomes for children, youth and families. Bill 188 Implementation Bill 188, Supporting Children’s Futures Act, 2024, came into effect on January 1, 2025, and introduced key amendments to the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 and related regulations. The legislation is intended to enhance the safety, well-being and privacy of children and youth in care, while strengthening oversight and accountability within the child welfare system. In the lead-up to implementation and throughout the rollout of Bill 188, our Agency has undertaken a coordinated approach to ensure compliance across all areas of Service. This has included developing and implementing updated policies and procedures, engaging both staff and external stakeholders, and ensuring the consistent application of new standards. Ongoing communication, training and the provision of materials and resources have supported staff in adapting to the legislative changes. We remain committed to meeting the requirements of the Act and to upholding the highest standards of practice and accountability in our work.
French Language Services As part of our ongoing commitment to equitable and accessible services, we continue to advance the implementation of French Language Services (FLS) to ensure French-speaking children, youth and families have full and meaningful access to services in their preferred language. Over the past year our efforts have focused on translating key public-facing documents, increasing French-language content on our website, and strengthening internal capacity to provide services in French. We are also working to embed FLS into our broader Service delivery frameworks, with staff, caregiver, volunteer and Board training as a key focus in the year ahead. community outreach, this past year we relaunched our Speakers Bureau as part of our ongoing commitment to community engagement and education around Duty to Report. The refreshed initiative ensures we can accommodate the high volume of requests from organizations seeking to understand how and when to involve a child welfare agency. Through this offering, we provide organizations with valuable insight into our work, vision and how we can best work in partnership, Speakers Bureau In response to growing interest and continued while providing staff with opportunities to act as ambassadors to evolve our working relationships with professionals across the health care, childcare, education, community safety sectors, law enforcement, and more.
Community Engagement As part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening relationships with local organizations and co-creating pathways that support families’ access to culturally relevant services, networks, and well-being, we continued to deepen our community engagement over the past year. This includes, but is not limited to:
Victim Services and the City of Toronto’s Central Family Intake We’ve strengthened our partnership with Victim Services and the City of Toronto’s Central Family Intake to better support families navigating increasingly complex challenges. Together, we’ve clarified our shared mission and streamlined referrals to vital services amid rising housing instability, inflation and long waitlists. These collaborations have fostered stronger relationships, creative problem-solving, and a shared commitment to responsive, coordinated support that promotes safety, stability and well-being. Yonge Street Mission We continue to partner with Yonge Street Mission (YSM) through a collaborative initiative funded by the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, which supports the hiring of a dedicated YSM Intake Coordinator. Together, we’ve implemented a specialized, multi disciplinary service model to better support Black families involved with our Agency. This partnership enables timely referrals to YSM’s wraparound supports, while offering families access visits in a neutral setting and opportunities to build their own community networks. Through this partnership, our shared goal is to support better outcomes for Black children, youth, and families while working with families toward the earliest possible reunification when children and youth have been admitted into care.
Surrey Place Our collaboration with Surrey Place continues to evolve as we explore how our shared sectors can better respond to the needs of children, youth and families navigating developmental and behavioural challenges. This ongoing partnership has included ongoing dialogue and engagement to deepen our understanding of service gaps, share expertise, and explore ways to improve coordination between systems. Through this work, our goal has been to identify and streamline opportunities to connect children and youth with complex needs to timely, accessible and appropriate services. By strengthening this collaboration, we aim to reduce barriers, improve continuity of care, and support better outcomes for the families we serve.
There to Care - GTA Recruitment Campaign
In the winter of 2025, our Agency led There to Care - GTA, a united campaign and call for new Foster Caregivers in partnership with Children’s Aid Societies and Indigenous Well-Being Agencies across the Greater Toronto Area. The campaign aimed to increase awareness of the need for supportive, temporary homes for children and youth with diverse identities and needs. As an extension of the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies’ There to Care initiative, the GTA campaign launched a shared public website and generated media coverage across major digital, television, and broadcast outlets. Featuring agency leaders and Foster Caregivers with lived experience, the campaign encouraged community members to reach out and learn more about how to get involved as Foster Caregivers.
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Our Operations
By the numbers
From April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025
Financial Sustainability Efforts Throughout the past year, we remained focused on cost reduction and revenue generating initiatives. The Finance Team played a key role in equipping organizational leaders with accurate reports, timely forecasts and critical financial analysis to facilitate informed data driven decision making at each leadership levels while ensuring effective Service delivery. This collaborative approach also supported the launch of initiatives aimed at enhancing operations and improving services. We worked closely with the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and our partners to advance deficit management goals and outcomes. We presented regular financial updates to the Audit & Finance Committee of our Board to ensure good governance and oversight while we work through our cost reduction and cost management initiatives towards long term financial stability. Ongoing financial pressures related to supporting children and youth with complex needs remain a key strategic priority. We continue to work alongside government agencies, sector stakeholders, and children and youth service providers to explore innovative solutions that balance increasing Service demands with limited financial resources. Enterprise Risk Management Program Update Building on its existing foundation, our Agency initiated a significant redesign of our Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program in 2024-25. Informed and aligned with expert recommendations and leading frameworks such as ISO 31000, the international standard for risk management, and the COSO ERM Framework, a widely used model for aligning risk with strategy, the initiative aims to strengthen how we identify, assess and manage risk across the organization. This transformation will encompass streamlined processes, developing more comprehensive risk assessment and mitigation strategies, and implementing strategic reporting to our Executive Team and Board. A substantial roll-out alongside training and education on ERM is anticipated in the coming year. Business Continuity Planning We continued to strengthen our focus on Business Continuity Planning (BCP) to ensure that our Agency is well-prepared to respond effectively to potential disruptions. Regular updates and an annual review of
the BCP were conducted to reflect changes in technology and organizational needs. Scenario-based tabletop exercises continue to be carried out to reinforce staff readiness and support practical understanding of roles and responsibilities in the event of BCP activation. This ongoing work underscores CAST’s commitment to maintaining Service continuity and operational resilience under any circumstance. Property Highlights In 2024-25, we advanced several key property initiatives aligned with our Agency’s long-term sustainability and Service goals. The sale of 2948 Kingston Road (Moberly) was finalized in January and two additional properties on 647 Logan Avenue and 469 Pape Avenue have been listed for sale. These efforts are part of our ongoing review of space utilization and work models to ensure we are operating efficiently and sustainably. We are proud to share that our office at 30 Isabella Street received the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification, a process led by Avison Young. This certification reflects our strong commitment to inclusive and accessible environments for staff, children, youth, families, and community partners. The evaluation recognized strengths in areas such as accessible entrances, signage, parking, bathrooms, and the integration of assistive technology. IT Systems and Services We completed several major projects approved by the Information Management Committee, including new systems to support Service Partnership Referrals, Emergency After Hours scheduling, Legal Intake workflows for court activities and Serious Occurrence Reporting. These tools enhance our ability to deliver responsive, efficient Service across the organization. We also successfully migrated all individual, departmental and organizational documents from on-premise storage to OneDrive, improving accessibility and strengthening document security. In addition, we upgraded our Human Resources Information System and Laserfiche platform to the latest versions, to support advanced functionality and streamline internal processes. Further enhancements in email protection and overall cybersecurity further reinforced our commitment to safeguarding information across all areas of the Agency.
CAST calls received 40,000
Referrals received 17,908
297 children and youth discharged from care to family or kin the work we do is with children, youth and families in their home
9 out of 10 times 7,775 Total investigations completed Total number of kinship placements 388
Total number of children and youth served through adoption 34
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Board of Directors
Financial summary
2024-2025
2023-2024
Salim Zulfikar Somani Chair
(In thousands of dollars)
$
$
Revenue By Source Government of Ontario
Gerald Mak 1st Vice Chair
160,579
163,174
Government of Canada
3,011
2,400
Karen Sihra 2nd Vice Chair, EDI
Children’s Aid Foundation
4,618
6,931
Other
2,203
2,650
Andrew Bedeau Treasurer
Total Revenue
$170,411
$175,155
Eugene Choi Secretary
Government of Ontario Revenue By Program Child Welfare Program
Iqbal Ali Jennifer Bell Sanober Diaz Catharine Dutt Sophia Ikura Robert Johnson
153,704
152,923
Other
6,875
10,251
Total
$160,579
$163,174
Expenses Salaries & Benefits
88,268
90,362
Bessy Leung Sabah Mirza Herman Ng Shruti Paul Julie Mahfouz Rezvani Lynn Strangway Annabella Tamburro Mackenzie Taylor
Boarding
65,928
60,146
Other
31,755
38,979
Total Expense
$185,951
$189,487
Summary of Operations Revenue
170,411
175,155
Expenses
185,951
189,487
Excess (deficiency) of revenue over expenses
$(15,540)
$(14,332)
Audited financial statements are available on our website at torontocas.ca.
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