© NSCYCWA 2011 - Site hosted by Council of Canadian Child and Youth Care Associations.
Thom Garfat, PhD has been working with troubled children, their families, and the people who work with them, for almost 40 years — as a
practitioner, supervisor, director, teacher, trainer, consultant and writer. He has worked with group care, family, foster care, corrections,
education, community and out-reach programs. It has been a rewarding and affirming journey.
Thom is currently the senior Editor for the Canadian journal Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, the co-founder of CYC-Net (www.cyc-net.
org), a consultant for Fostering First International in the UK, and KeyAssets, Nfld and has his own consulting and training practice. His work has
taken him to every province and territory in Canada as well as to numerous other countries. His latest two books Quality Care in a Family
Setting: A Practical Guide for Foster Carers (Co-edited with Leon Fulcher, PhD) and A Guide for Developing Effective Child and Youth Care
Practice with Families (co-edited with Grant Charles, PhD) are available through CYC-Net.
practitioner, supervisor, director, teacher, trainer, consultant and writer. He has worked with group care, family, foster care, corrections,
education, community and out-reach programs. It has been a rewarding and affirming journey.
Thom is currently the senior Editor for the Canadian journal Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, the co-founder of CYC-Net (www.cyc-net.
org), a consultant for Fostering First International in the UK, and KeyAssets, Nfld and has his own consulting and training practice. His work has
taken him to every province and territory in Canada as well as to numerous other countries. His latest two books Quality Care in a Family
Setting: A Practical Guide for Foster Carers (Co-edited with Leon Fulcher, PhD) and A Guide for Developing Effective Child and Youth Care
Practice with Families (co-edited with Grant Charles, PhD) are available through CYC-Net.
Keynote Speaker
Closing Keynote Speaker
Jeff Reid has been working in this field since 1978, although my history of being involved with youth goes back several years prior as a
volunteer. I was always interested in working with children and youth, I just was not clear about what direction my career path would take me
at first. Like so many of us in the field, I started out with a B.A. (psychology), and decided to see what I could do before committing to more
education. I started with the Browndale organization in Ontario, working with what were described as the some of the most disturbed youth in
the province. As I gained some experience, I noticed two things, the youth were just young people needing time, attention, patience,
boundaries and someone willing to hang in, and that most of the supervisory and managerial staff were not from a CYC background and did
not have the experiences from the floor. I returned to school part-time to complete a M.Ed. in Administration and Management and used that
as a foundation for developing as a supervisor. I continued to work front-line until I felt that I had sufficient experience in CYC to supervise other
CYC staff. I have supervised and managed programs in three different provinces, both from residential and community based perspective of
CYC. Along the way, I have picked up a love of teaching, and teach courses for the Nova Scotia Community College in the Child and Youth
Care Program.
volunteer. I was always interested in working with children and youth, I just was not clear about what direction my career path would take me
at first. Like so many of us in the field, I started out with a B.A. (psychology), and decided to see what I could do before committing to more
education. I started with the Browndale organization in Ontario, working with what were described as the some of the most disturbed youth in
the province. As I gained some experience, I noticed two things, the youth were just young people needing time, attention, patience,
boundaries and someone willing to hang in, and that most of the supervisory and managerial staff were not from a CYC background and did
not have the experiences from the floor. I returned to school part-time to complete a M.Ed. in Administration and Management and used that
as a foundation for developing as a supervisor. I continued to work front-line until I felt that I had sufficient experience in CYC to supervise other
CYC staff. I have supervised and managed programs in three different provinces, both from residential and community based perspective of
CYC. Along the way, I have picked up a love of teaching, and teach courses for the Nova Scotia Community College in the Child and Youth
Care Program.