Chance to play, learn, grow for children and youth in care

Ahmed*, a youth in care with the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CCAS), loved watching football and longed to score his own touchdowns. With no family support, he couldn’t afford to register or purchase the gear needed to join a football league. But Ahmed’s dream became a reality thanks to the Ignite The Spark program.

Ignite The Spark covers activity fees so that children and youth in care can participate in fun and skill-building extracurriculars ranging from sports and technology to arts and cultural activities. The program is funded by donors to the Catholic Children’s Aid Foundation (CCAF) and supplemented by a grant from the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada.

Helping Catholic kids reach their full potential

Like their peers, children and youth in care need physical activity, creative inspiration and structured learning and play—yet they often can’t register for extracurriculars due to costs. Ignite The Spark makes access possible by paying for program fees and related equipment expenses, including over multiple years.

Thanks to this program:

• Chelsea* received financial assistance to buy new running shoes and join the school volleyball team. Having required several facial surgeries, the opportunity helped boost her courage, skills and self-confidence.
• Zander* was able to take a cooking course. 
• Evie* purchased the required uniform and enrolled in Taekwondo. The martial art offered her an outlet for some of the excess energy and impulsivity she has as a result of living with ADHD.

Lifting barriers so struggling kids can play and learn

The CCAF has also provided financial assistance for tutoring, coding lessons, soccer, boxing, hockey, dance, gymnastics and much more. The program applies to children and youth in foster care or with kin, such as grandparents or older siblings. 

*Name changed for privacy reasons.