Between Steps: Working Together Toward What’s Next

Welcome to the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026! We are thrilled to invite you back to Centennial College (Progress Campus) for another enriching year of connection and resource sharing. Join us on April 13th for an engaging day designed for adoption professionals, featuring opportunities to expand your knowledge and collaborate with peers.

On behalf of the Adoption Council of Ontario (ACO), we thank you for your interest in this Provincial ARE!

This event is supported by the ACO, the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS), Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies, and Private Practitioners.

Event Overview

Professional Day Details

Date: Monday, April 13th, 2026

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Registration Opens at 8:30 AM)

Venue: Centennial College Event Centre (937 Progress Ave., 8th Floor, Scarborough, ON M1G 3T8)

ARE Day Details

Date: Sunday, April 12th, 2026

Time: 12:00 – 5:00 PM (Registration Opens at 11:30 AM)

Venue: Same as above. 

To access either day virtually, please head to the Virtual Venue tab. 

Event Notices

Please see the event notice below. 

*Images are stock photos and not of actual children and youth being profiled. Important Event Notice If you have received an email from PheedLoop (our Virtual Venue provider) with the subject line “PheedLoop Password” or “Access Information For the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026”, please ignore and delete these emails. Instead, follow the steps below to find your correct PIN and access the Virtual Venue. Click here to log in to your AdoptOntario account (please use your professional account log in details) Once logged in, click on My Adoption Events Search for the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026 event in the list Take note of your PIN and the email address (image below). Please ensure you are using this PIN and email address and not the one from the email. Click the Join Webcast button You will be redirected to the Virtual Venue login page, where you can add your email address and PIN Click Login You are now accessing the Virtual Venue We encourage everyone to log on ahead of the event to ensure you don’t run into any technical issues as the event begins.    Need Assistance? If you do have any technical issues accessing the event, please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected].  Sincerely, The ARE & AdoptOntario Team This announcement is produced by the AdoptOntario program for prospective adoptive families and adoption workers and practitioners in Ontario. The information is intended to educate those interested in adoption about news, events and programs pertinent to their practice and/or journey. AdoptOntario is a program operated by the Adoption Council of Ontario, funded by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. Copyright 2023 AdoptOntario. All Rights Reserved

Event Agenda

We have a full day planned for adoption professionals! To help you plan, please review the important upcoming dates and event agenda below.

Important Upcoming Dates

• Virtual Venue (third party event site) Launch and Close Date: April 10th-May 8th
• Event Day! (ARE Day): April 12th, from 12:00 – 5:00 PM (Registration Opens at 11:30 AM)
• Event Day! (Professional Day): April 13th, from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Registration Opens at 8:30 AM)
• Recorded Educational Presentations Posted (on the Virtual Venue): Keynotes and presentations will be shared in the days following the live event

Event Agenda

Directions & Maps

This year, the Provincial ARE will be hosted at Centennial College Event Centre (Progress Campus). 

Address

Centennial College Event Centre (937 Progress Ave., 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M1G 3T8). It is located at the new School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts.

Taking Transit?

Plan your TTC trip here. Plan your GO Transit trip here.

Driving?

Paid parking is available on-site (approximately $6.75 plus HST). Attendees of the Provincial ARE can park in Lot 2 or 3, or alternatively, if the parking lot is full, attendees can park at 940 Progress Avenue and walk across Progress Avenue to arrive at the Event Centre. 

Where to Stay & Eat

In person attendees will receive breakfast, lunch and beverages, including coffee, tea, and water. For additional meal options, please see the information below.

The Café and Local Restaurant (Open Mondays)

Located in the same building as the Event Centre on the main floor, attendees can purchase food and drinks. The restaurant, which offers lunch, is open from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM. The café is open 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM. 

Stay

To explore nearby stay options, you can click here.

Joining from Afar?

Attendees who cannot join us in person on April 13th for this year’s event can still participate virtually in a couple of ways. Here’s how:

Educational Recordings

All live educational presentations (excluding networking and debrief sessions) will be recorded and available on the Virtual Venue in the days following the event. Registered attendees can access these recordings until May 8th.

To learn more about accessing and using the Virtual Venue, please navigate to the ‘Virtual Venue’ tab. 

Virtual Venue

What is the Virtual Venue?

Exclusive to the Provincial ARE, the Virtual Venue is run by Midland57 and is a feature that gives registered attendees access to recorded presentations from event day, educational recordings and adoption-related resources.

How to Access the Virtual Venue

1. Click here to log in to the AdoptOntario Waiting Children Photolisting
   1. Please use your AdoptOntario log in credentials
2. Once logged in, click on My Adoption Events
3. Search for the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026 event in the list
4. Take note of your PIN and the email address
5. Click the Join Webcast button
6. You will be redirected to the Virtual Venue login page, where you can add your email address and PIN
7. Click Login

Features of the Virtual Venue

Lobby: This is the landing page for the ACO’s Provincial ARE 2026. You will be greeted with an introductory video that will provide details on navigating the event platform.

Sessions: If you’re joining us virtually, this is your go-to spot for watching recordings of our educational presentations from event day. Please note that these recordings will not be available until after the in-person event.

Exhibit Hall: In this section, you can find a list of all participating CAS. After you click on the applicable CAS, you can see all the adoption workers who are participating from that agency.

Child and Youth List: Attendees can view a list of the children/youth profiled at this event. You can view some basic non-identifying information (e.g. pseudonym, case ID number, adoption worker and a written profile). 

Voices and Perspectives in Adoption: This section will provide attendees adoption resources. Attendees will have access to this section the whole time the Virtual Venue is live.

Virtual Venue Tech Support

The ‘Attendee Support’ widget (bottom left hand side of screen on the Virtual Venue) can be used to access technical support for the Virtual Venue. Please keep in mind, response times are not immediate (24 hour response times). If you require assistance sooner, please email [email protected]. 

April 15th and 16th from 4-8:30 PM: During these three days, attendees can access live technical support using the ‘Attendee Support’ widget. 

Notices

1. The Virtual Venue can only be accessed using a laptop or desktop. It is not accessible to tablets or mobile devices.
2. We recommend using Google Chrome to access the Virtual Venue. However, Firefox, Safari and Microsoft Edge are also supported. Internet Explorer will not be supported.

Education & Resources 

Between Steps: Working Together Toward What’s Next.

Professional Day Presentations (Monday, April 13th, 2026)

Keynote Presentation – 

Hindsight: Learning in Reverse with Terra Bovingdon

Drawing on nearly three decades of counselling families coming together through permanency, this keynote explores the powerful lessons that emerge when we look back. Through the lens of adoption disruptions, the speaker reflects on what hindsight can teach professionals and caregivers about preparing families, supporting children, and navigating complex realities. The presentation will examine the gap between expectations and reality, the importance of having honest and sometimes difficult conversations, and the challenge of balancing the perspectives and needs of all parties involved. By learning from experiences where things did not unfold as hoped, participants will gain insights that can strengthen future practice, deepen empathy, and better support children, youth, and families on the path to permanency.

Presentation by Never Too Late

Community Partner Presentation with Never Too Late
Community partners from Never Too Late will be here to discuss the unique ways in which their organization works on permanency initiatives through its programs and engagement with Living Experts of child welfare. Through an increased understanding of Never Too Late’s values and mission, those working in the field of adoption may learn of ways to collaborate with us, with the goal being to collectively expand permanency, in all its forms, to all children and youth in and from the provincial care system.

ARE Day Debrief Session

This portion of Professional Day will not be recorded
Join us for a brief presentation offering a glimpse into this year’s ARE and past events. After the overview, AdoptOntario team members will lead a discussion on the highlights and opportunities for this year’s ARE, exploring challenges, successes, and key takeaways.

ARE Day Presentations (Sunday, April 12th, 2026)

Keynote Presentation & Panel Discussion

Our Adoption Journey – A Tree in the Forest with Sarah Van Dyk
Sarah Van Dyk reflects on her personal and professional adoption journey using the metaphor of a tree in a forest. As an adoptive parent of two children and a former Resource Worker, they emphasize that adoption is not simply a process but a transformation. In the waiting stage of adoption, prospective parents are already beginning the work of becoming the parents their future child will meet. We will discuss the roots, trunk and branches of adoptive families using stories and humour. The speaker shares how meeting their children for the first time required letting go of the imagined child to fully embrace the child with their own history, temperament, grief, and joy. Waiting is framed as an active period of preparation where prospective parents can learn, reflect, and create networks of support. Ultimately, the speaker emphasizes that adoptive families, like trees, grow best within a forest: a community that can hold the complexities, challenges, and joys of the adoption journey.

Join Us at the Resource Village 

On April 12th, we will be offering a Resource Village, which is a hub where attendees can make meaningful connections with adoption experts, diverse adoption-related organizations, and experienced adoptive parents. It’s a place to build valuable relationships and deepen your knowledge and understanding of adoption. The Resource Village representatives will be available between 2:00 – 5:00 PM to speak to attendees.

Connect with one or all of the representatives below! Click on a link to learn more about the organization. 

The AdoptOntario Program

The Centralized Adoption Intake Service (CAIS)

The Permanency & Adoption Competency Training Program (PACT)

Adoption Resource Events

Interwoven Connections

One Vision One Voice

Sherbourne Health

Adoption Support Kinship (A.S.K.)