Black youth are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system. Many times, youth are unfairly treated within the system, and other times community and educational experience can disproportionately lead Black youth to engage in criminal behaviour. The structure and practice of anti-Black racism in Canada is complex, however, many institutions are beginning to understand how their systems impact Black youth and their families.

Learn more about the criminal justice in Canada

Resources for youth and families

Our team met with Nicola Crow, Executive Director for the Durham Family Court Clinic, an organization dedicated to supporting young people, families and the community involved in the criminal justice system, with specialized legal and mental health needs.

Durham Family Court Clinic
Interview with Executive Director Nicola Crow

DFCC’s Mission

To empower and engage young people/families and communities through collaboration, innovation and excellence.

DFCC’s Values

• Hope
• Compassion
• Collaboration
• Integrity
• Excellence

Who DFCC Supports?

DFCC generally supports youth from the age of 12 to 21, and sometimes until the age 25. The referral route to their programs are program specific. Services are only open to residents of Durham Region. Many of their programs have specific referral sources from the youth justice system, such as from Probation or the Youth Court. There are certain programs that receive referrals from schools, community agencies and a few programs that are self or family referrals i.e. the Enhanced Youth Outreach Worker program that provides one-to-one counselling support, including helping bridge services where a youth is in crisis and services are not immediately available.

DFCC supports Black, Indigenous and People of Colour by…

DFCC supports our community by looking at the youth and their families as individuals utilizing a holistic approach. When working with families they do not work with youth alone but also ensure they work with
the young person’s network as well. They also understand that each youth is individual to their circumstances, strengths, abilities, communities, culturally sensitive, sexual identity, gender identity.
The DFCC Team approach their work with young people and families through an Anti-Oppressive and Anti-Racism perspective and practice. DFCC strives to do a good job of providing that support that is taking into account the youth themselves and the uniqueness that they bring.

DFCC, as an agency is committed to combat oppression, Anti-Black racism, racism and discrimination.
For DFCC it is very important that work done from an individual basis reflects the outcomes the young person would like to see for themselves, whatever that might mean for them. They recognized each youth is on their own journey and having an inclusive approach when considering how as an agency, they can invest the necessary support to meet the needs reflective of the current and evolving community. Their priority goes to one of their strategic plan goals to be a welcoming place for everyone.

DFCC team understand how it is important to them to be flexible, think outside the box and to do all that they can to support young people and families even during the pandemic. For example, if a young
person does not attend an appointment even if it is a number of times they work hard to continue to reach out to engage with the young person.

How has DFCC supported youth during the global pandemic?

DFCC is currently providing virtual service delivery via phone, text, secure virtual delivery platform with some program specific direct face-to-face service at their main office location, e.g. their Collaborative Day Treatment Program. Programming and service looks a lot different Pre COVID because a key component in their service delivery philosophy was to meet youth where they were at in their own community. This meant young people/families did not typically come to their offices, instead meetings took place in the young person’s community. Their approach before COVID and now during COVID is to do everything they can to engage and empower the young person and family.

Services Provided