NORTH BAY, ON — On September 30, Niijaansinaanik Child and Family Services joins communities across the region and across Canada in honouring Residential School Survivors, remembering the children who never returned home, and standing with families and communities who continue to carry the lasting impacts of the residential school system.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day are observed annually on September 30 as a time for remembrance, reflection, learning, and responsibility. The day also reaffirms the message that Every Child Matters, and that every child deserves safety, belonging, dignity, love, and connection to family, community, language, and identity.
Scott Corbett, Executive Director of Niijaansinaanik Child and Family Services, said the agency remains committed to responding to community needs with care, accountability, and cultural grounding.
“On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we honour the strength of Survivors, the memories of the children who never came home, and the families and communities who continue to live with the impacts of residential schools. At Niijaansinaanik, our commitment is to continue responding to the needs of our communities by providing protection services in a culturally grounded manner — services that recognize identity, relationships, language, community connection, and the inherent right of First Nations to raise and protect their children in their own way.”
Niijaansinaanik’s commitment is reflected in the organization’s Orange Standard work, a standardized approach to Indigenous child, youth, and family well-being services that supports culturally safe prevention and protection practices for children, youth, families, and communities.
Through the Orange Standard, the organization is building on Anishinaabewin Nikayaa Nkoobnigay — the Anishinaabe way of raising children — as a prevention-based model that supports First Nation jurisdiction, strengthens family and community connections, and advances child wellbeing in ways rooted in culture, teachings, and local priorities. “This is a time of meaningful collective growth for our organization and for the communities we serve,” said Carri Tabobondung, Orange Standard Lead. “Through the Orange Standard, we are learning, building, and moving together in ways that lift up our Anishinaabe teachings, strengthen prevention, and support community-led child wellbeing. During this important time of change, we remain grounded in the knowledge that real progress happens when communities, leadership, staff, and families work together with a shared vision for the children.”
Niinjaansinaanik gratefully acknowledges the support of the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs-in-Assembly, expressed through AFN Resolution 01-2023 at the AFN Special Chiefs Assembly in Ottawa in April 2023. The resolution supports the development of the Orange Standard Initiative and encourages opportunities for collaboration, shared learning, and the advancement of promising practices that strengthen the wellbeing of First Nations children and families.
As reform and planning continue across Ontario’s First Nations child and family services system, Niijaansinaanik remains focused on supporting prevention, strengthening community-informed planning, and walking alongside First Nations as they advance their own priorities, readiness, and jurisdiction in child and family wellbeing. Niijaansinaanik offers this statement in a spirit of remembrance, reflection, and responsibility. The organization honours Residential School Survivors, recognizes the children who never returned home, supports the ongoing healing and leadership present in each community, and remains committed to work that protects children, strengthens families, and supports culturally grounded pathways for the next generation.
