BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FNIM Committee Chair

We’re looking for a First Nation, Intuit, and Métis Committee Chair

Name of Organization: Interwoven Connections

Location: Ontario

Organization's Mission and Vision
Interwoven Connections—Ontario’s Association for kin, customary care, and adoptive parents and caregivers, is a community of people with lived experience that strengthens and empowers parents and caregivers to achieve permanency for children so that they reach their full potential. We believe all adoptive, kinship and customary care parents and caregivers have a right to advocacy, support and guidance throughout their lifelong journey.

Volunteer Position Title
First Nation, Inuit, Métis (FNIM) Committee Chair, Board of Directors
*for readability in this job description we will use the acronym FNIM from this point forward. Interwoven Connections recognizes there are distinct, unique cultural differences among First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities.


Volunteer Position Description
Recognizing the racist history and injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples in Canada, particularly with respect to child welfare, requires a completely different approach to how Interwoven Connections supports Indigenous families, we are seeking an FNIM Committee Chair to sit on the Board of Directors. The person in this role is intended to represent the interests of FNIM communities at Board meetings, develop and lead the FNIM committee, and engage in outreach to FNIM communities in Ontario to support collaborative relationships and partnerships between Interwoven Connections and Indigenous-led community supports and services. The Candidate should be from a First Nation, Inuit or Métis community.


The FNIM Committee Chair responsibilities include

  • Attending monthly Board teleconference meetings (not including July and August);  

  • Expanding the committee by recruiting Indigenous community parents and caregivers to join, as well as Indigenous youth who have been involved in child welfare and can bring their own first-voice experiences;

  • Participating in the ongoing development and implementation of FNIM cultural competency for the staff, Board and overall community;

  • Developing provincial and national partnerships with FNIM organizations;

  • Developing an Indigenous resource library of information and culturally appropriate referrals and connections, for staff and community parents/caregivers,

  • Leading the committee’s efforts to provide opportunities for families to participate in cultural events that deepen their children’s connections to their communities and develop their cultural identity;

  • Contributing to annual FNIM awareness campaigns, such as for National Indigenous People’s Day;

  • Acting as a resource to the organization in identifying culturally appropriate supports for parents and caregivers in meeting their children’s need for cultural connections and ways of healing.

  • The successful applicant will bring professional knowledge, cultural connections, and lived experience of the FNIM communities to the discussion and decisions made by the Board.

Qualifications

  • Direct experience with, from, and in partnership with FNIM communities in Ontario;

  • Knowledge of the history of FNIM people in Canada with respect to child welfare organizations (e.g., residential schools, 60s scoop and inter-generational trauma);

  • Familiarity with the structure and process of board or committee meetings; understanding of group dynamics with equitable considerations of a variety of perspectives and ideas;

  • Knowledge of governing an equitable, and anti-oppressive / anti-racist organization considered an asset;

  • Should be an adoptive parent, kin or customary caregiver, or directly touched by permanency plans in some way, and passionate about helping people form families through adoption, kinship or customary care.

  • Time Commitment: 5-7 hours per month 

About Us

What unites Interwoven Connections’s Board, staff, volunteers, community parents/caregivers and partners in the community is a passion and commitment to make a difference for our children and all children in need of permanency. It is because of this passion and commitment, and the unanimous recognition for the need for lifelong post-placement connections and support, that Interwoven Connections’s Peer to Peer Support Network was born.

Interwoven Connections is dedicated to building the capacity of adoptive, kin and customary care parents and caregivers to advocate for their children’s unique needs, through a network of support that strengthens their family and reduces the likelihood of disruption. Our pillars are advocacy, support and guidance.

We are committed to developing and maintaining a locally and culturally representative Peer to Peer Support Network for all those providing permanency to children, by offering group and individualized support for their needs. Interwoven Connections works closely with local Ontario Children’s Aid Societies and Family Well-being agencies, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, and other adoption-affiliated and partner organizations.

To Apply
To apply for this position, please forward your résumé to jobs@interwovenconnections.ca, and put the title “FNIM Committee Chair” in the subject line of the email.

While this is a volunteer position, it is worth noting that Interwoven Connections is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Candidates from minority groups, especially people who identify as Black, First Nations, Metis or Inuit, and/or LGBTQ2S+ are strongly encouraged to apply. Preference may be given to qualified candidates who have lived experience in adoption, kinship, customary care and/or foster care. 

Interwoven Connections is committed to a selection process that is inclusive and barrier free. Accommodation will be provided at all stages of the process, as required by Interwoven Connections Accessibility Policies.

For further information, contact: Tedd Konya, Chair of the Board at chair(at)interwovenconnections(dot)ca