Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Durham Children's Aid Foundation (DCCF)

The Children’s Aid Foundation of Durham is a community-based charitable foundation that raises private funds to improve the lives of children, youth and families connected to the child welfare system in Durham Region, Ontario. Working alongside the local children’s aid society and other partners, it channels donations from individuals, corporations and community groups into targeted financial support. This support complements core government funding and focuses on needs that are often unmet by public systems.

The foundation typically invests in areas such as education, enrichment, basic needs and family support. Through scholarships and bursaries, it helps young people in care or formerly in care pursue post-secondary education and training. Special funds and memorial funds established by donors may support activities like camps, recreation, tutoring, mental health supports or emergency assistance for families under stress.

Funding from the foundation is directed to vulnerable children and youth, including those in foster care, kinship care, or transitioning to independence, as well as families working with child welfare services. Rather than delivering front-line services itself, the foundation acts as a grantmaker, providing financial resources to programs, initiatives and direct supports managed by partner agencies and community organizations.

Grant support can take the form of individual awards (such as educational bursaries), project-based funding for specific initiatives, or ongoing program contributions. Priority is generally placed on improving long-term outcomes, building resilience, preventing family breakdown where possible, and helping youth successfully transition to adulthood.

As a registered charity, the Children’s Aid Foundation of Durham is governed by a volunteer board of directors and follows established policies for stewardship of donated funds. The website highlights the impact of donor-supported programs, stories of funded initiatives and ways for donors to create named or memorial funds. This structure ensures that contributions are used transparently to advance the foundation’s mission of giving vulnerable children and youth in Durham opportunities to thrive.