Listening. Learning. Leading.

Kinark's 2025/26 Annual Report

Dear community members, clients, client families, partners, and staff,

It is our privilege to introduce Kinark Child and Family Services’ Annual Report for fiscal year 2025-26, a year defined by listening, continuous learning, and strengthening the impact we strive to make every day in the lives of children, youth, and families. 

As an engaged Board and leadership team, we began this year with a shared commitment to build on Kinark’s strong foundation while shaping its future. We strive to ensure that every decision, service, and partnership reflects the voices and needs of those we serve. As we moved through this period of leadership transition, we remained focused on continuity, listening closely to staff, partners, and the communities we serve, and reinforcing our collective commitment to quality and impact. 

Across the organization, we prioritized purposeful listening, creating more opportunities to hear directly from clients, families, staff, and community partners through client and staff experience surveys and at community tables, including the York Simcoe Autism Network. Their feedback has been invaluable in guiding how we refine programs, strengthen service delivery, and enhance quality. This commitment is reflected in the engagement of our Family Advisory Committee with both the executive team and the Board of Directors, ensuring lived experience directly informs leadership decisions. We strengthened systems that ensure services are informed by data, guided by lived experience, and grounded in continuous improvement; reflecting our belief that improvement is an ongoing responsibility. 

Collaboration has been central to our progress. We strengthened partnerships to enhance service quality, system alignment, and shared learning. By working with system partners, engaging families through the Client Experience and Quality Table, and further aligning our internal teams, including clinical services, Autism Services, and Communications, we have enhanced integrated care pathways and improved outcomes for the families we serve. 

We are proud to have improved access to more children, youth, and families across Ontario. Through thoughtful program growth and evolving service models, including expanding our Triple P programming to additional service areas, we were able to exceed ministry service targets while maintaining a focus on high-quality, person-centered care. This progress reflects the dedication of our staff and the trust placed in us by our communities. 

We also advanced our commitment to equity, recognizing that the strength of our services is directly connected to the diversity and inclusiveness of our workforce. Over the past year, we made meaningful progress in implementing recommendations from our 2021 equity audit, with 94% of the selected recommendations completed by March 2026.  

These changes have resulted in more inclusive policies and improved practices. We expanded services for Francophone families and those in rural or remote communities, and we continue to invest in staff learning and culturally responsive program innovation. 

At the same time, we laid important groundwork for the future through investments in facilities, infrastructure, and digital technologies. As we look ahead, we remain committed to supporting children, youth, and families with complex needs and to strengthening the foundation of high-quality services that they rely on. 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our staff, whose compassion and expertise drive everything we do; to our partners, whose collaboration amplifies our impact; and to the families and youth who entrust us with their care and inspire our work each day. 

As you read this report, we invite you to reflect on the progress made, the lessons learned, and the opportunities ahead. Together, we are building a stronger, more responsive system of care. 

Sincerely,