The Lived Expert Library is a tribute to tenacity, yes—but more importantly, it’s a tribute to talent, to vision, and to the many layers of lived experts that are so often overlooked. It’s a reminder that we are more than what we've survived—we are what we’ve made from it.

In honour of Children and Youth in Care Day, please visit the Lived Expert Library and browse the submissions.

The words we use send value-based messages and inform the way we feel and think about the world. Lived Expert facilitator Wendy, who has worked in Communications for over 10 years, explored the subjectivity of language, identity-based language, and why Never Too Late (NTL) uses unique language such as the term "Human".

In April 2023, Never Too Late (NTL) officially launched as an independent organization and began building on years of foundational work done as a program at the Adoption Council of Ontario. Our inaugural Annual Report shares stories of community strength and tenacity and covers the work that we completed in our first fiscal year October 2023 - September 2024.

Downtown Legal Services in collaboration with the Adult Adoption Working Group is composing a four-part manual, “Unpacking the Family Backpack,” which outlines legal rights and privileges in Ontario that depend on family status.

Part 1 of Difficult Conversations explored foundational groundwork that will empower and equip our relationships with Lived Experts for difficult conversations. Attention was given to the role that boundaries play and finding the “how much” between “yes” and “no” answers.

We celebrated the many successes of our panelist, Lived Experts with FASD! Each of them has made significant strides towards a rich and thriving future with the supports they need. While we can’t share the specifics of their stories here, we can share some of our favorite takeaways with you.

Making Space for Lived Experts brought together a panel of professionals with lived expertise in foster care, adoption, or kinship care. It focused on how to enhance the contributions of those with lived expertise to enhance their involvement in advancing organizational missions, extending beyond traditional keynote speaking roles to more integral, impactful positions.

FASD and Developmental Trauma have real impacts on brain development and executive functioning. There are many things you can do to create an environment that supports those with FASD to grow and thrive.

At 32, I used my mom’s relapse as an opportunity to take my power back.

Loss is a universal experience for young people who come into the child welfare system, it is at the center of the Seven Core Issues. As Humans, it is important to understand how loss impacts attachment, behaviours, and internal working models and learn how to support our Lived Experts in acknowledging and processing loss.

Toronto Star News article about adult adoption, featuring Never Too Late (NTL)