Takiyah wedderburn - executive director

Takiyah Wedderburn is a Child & Youth Care practitioner, she has worked in the Social Services field for the past 15 years. She has extensive experience working with various marginalized and vulnerable children, youth and their families from special needs to various behavioural challenges. She is a strong advocate for Black and biracial children. These specific children and youth can face many challenges and issues of self-identity when they are placed in multiple foster homes, especially with non-black families. Although every foster parent is carefully selected by child welfare authorities. Children and youth are placed in homes that can provide the necessities to survive such as safety, shelter, clothing, food and education. Foster parents are selected regardless of their race and ethnicity and strive to provide a nurturing loving and healthy environment for each child that comes into their care. Notably, becoming a foster parent can come along with a fair share of challenges in understanding unique cultural practices and differences. The Executive Director was motivated to create her own initiative after many years working in the education system, residential sector and as a volunteer with child welfare agencies with many different foster families. Takiyah has been serving her community as a volunteer and strong advocate for all children and youth, as they are vulnerable and can be marginalized. Takiyah has heard countless negative stereotypes and experiences from numerous black and biracial children and youth she worked with. Many girls expressed unhappiness with their hair texture, skin tone and their overall thoughts about how the world viewed them. Many black girls expressed a wish for 'good hair' or straight hair. What is 'good hair' and where did this notion come from? This just about broke Takiyah's heart to hear little black boys and girls share their insecurities and low self-esteem. Black boys expressed feeling inferior to their non-black foster families, school teachers and strangers on the street. Young black boys expressed feeling treated unfairly than other ethnic groups. Furthermore, they shared feeling constantly questioned and viewed as looking suspicious to the media and the public. Takiyah believes self-image is the key to a stronger black community.