Ontario Trillium Foundation is Funding our Living Expert Community
Since its inception, Living Experts of the child welfare system have been a cornerstone in the growth and development of Never Too Late (NTL). From the language we use (such as “Humans”) to the trainings and education we deliver, the voices and experiences of Lived Experts have informed decisions and directly contributed to the creation of materials. Their presence in Service Provider Training and Training for Humans is constantly noted by participants as a significant highlight.
While acknowledging the important impact Living Experts have had, we also realized that we had not yet fulfilled our promise to Living Experts to provide equitable programming specifically for them!
We are overjoyed to announce that Never Too Late (NTL) has been chosen as a recipient of the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Seed grant. This funding will be a critical part of fulfilling our promise by developing the Living Expert Community at Never Too Late (NTL) over the course of 2026 by supporting:
Growing our community by finding more Living Experts who are interested in being connected to Never Too Late (NTL)
Developing programming for Living Experts, including mentorship and educational offerings with a focus on relational skills
Getting 1:1 support from our Lived Expert Community Coordinator
Creating opportunities for Living Experts to receive support from and make permanency connections with caring Humans in our community
Evaluation of programming to understand its impact and create sustainability
Part of the Ontario Trillium Foundation grant funds will also go towards hiring a small team of Living Experts to do this work. It’s always important to acknowledge that Never Too Late (NTL) exists because of generations of advocacy by Living Experts of child welfare and permanency journeys. We are grateful to all of those who have advocated and continue to look to Lived Expert-led movements and initiatives to guide our work.
We are grateful to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for choosing to provide funding for this important work. You can learn more about offerings for the Lived Expert Community here.
If you have any questions or know a Living Expert who may want to join our community, you can get in touch with us at hello@nevertoolatentl.ca.