Justification for an Ontario Framework Supporting Income Generation and Poverty Elimination for People Living with FASD: A UN Development Group Theory of Change Approach

This justification utilizes the UN Development Group Theory of Change (ToC) framework to outline how an Ontario framework focused on supporting income generation can lead to the ultimate impact of eliminating poverty for people living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). 1. Problem Statement: People living with FASD in Ontario experience disproportionately high rates of severe disability, leading to significant barriers in accessing and maintaining meaningful employment. This results in the high rate of 70% unemployment, 18% of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people living below the poverty line, and ultimately, poverty. Current systems and supports are inadequate to address the complex and lifelong needs of this population, perpetuating a cycle of disadvantage and hindering their potential for economic self-sufficiency and social inclusion. This issue is further exacerbated for Indigenous individuals with FASD due to the ongoing impacts of colonization and systemic inequities as noted in Calls for Action 33 and 34 as stated in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report and repeated in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls’s final report. 2. Desired Impact (Long-Term Goal): Poverty is eliminated for people living with FASD in Ontario, leading to increased economic well-being, social inclusion, and improved quality of life. 3. Intermediate Outcomes (Changes Needed to Achieve Impact): To achieve the desired impact, the following intermediate outcomes are necessary: ● Improved Economic Opportunities: People living with FASD have increased access to diverse and inclusive income-generating opportunities aligned with their strengths and support needs. ● Enhanced Skills and Employability: Individuals with FASD possess the skills, knowledge, and supports necessary to participate in the workforce or pursue self-employment. ● Increased Employer Awareness and Accommodation: Employers in Ontario understand FASD, its impact, and are equipped and willing to provide appropriate accommodations and inclusive work environments. ● Strengthened Support Systems: Comprehensive and coordinated support systems are in place to address the unique needs of individuals with FASD related to employment, financial literacy, and navigating social assistance programs. ● Reduced Stigma and Discrimination: Negative stereotypes and discriminatory practices towards individuals with FASD are reduced within the workforce and broader society. ● Improved Financial Literacy and Management: People living with FASD have the skills and support to manage their finances effectively and build financial security. ● Increased Access to Targeted Financial Supports: Financial assistance programs are flexible, accessible, and responsive to the specific needs and challenges faced by individuals with FASD. 4. Outputs (Specific Actions and Deliverables of the Framework): The Ontario framework will deliver the following outputs to achieve the intermediate outcomes: ● Development of FASD-Specific Employment Support Programs: Tailored programs offering individualized career counselling, vocational training, job coaching, and mentorship specifically designed to address the learning styles and support needs of individuals with FASD. ● Establishment of Supported Employment Initiatives: Creation of supported employment models that provide ongoing on-the-job support, job carving, and flexible work arrangements. ● Creation of Micro-Grant and Seed Funding Opportunities: Provision of financial resources and business development support for individuals with FASD interested in pursuing self-employment or small business ventures. ● Development and Delivery of Employer Training and Awareness Programs: Educational resources and workshops for employers on understanding FASD, implementing inclusive hiring practices, and providing effective workplace accommodations. ● Establishment of a Provincial FASD Employment Network: A collaborative network connecting individuals with FASD seeking employment, support service providers, employers, and government agencies. ● Development of Accessible Financial Literacy Training Modules: Tailored educational resources and workshops to improve financial management skills for individuals with FASD, considering their cognitive profiles. ● Advocacy for Policy Changes in Social Assistance Programs: Recommendations for modifications to existing social assistance programs to better accommodate the episodic nature of disability and the specific needs of individuals with FASD, including earned income exemptions and flexible eligibility criteria. ● Development of Public Awareness Campaigns: Initiatives to reduce stigma and increase understanding of FASD within the broader community and among employers. ● Establishment of Culturally Relevant Supports for Indigenous Individuals with FASD: Development and implementation of income generation programs and supports that are culturally appropriate, community-led, and address the specific historical and ongoing impacts of colonization. ● Creation of a Centralized Resource Hub: A readily accessible online and offline resource providing information on employment supports, financial assistance, legal rights, and other relevant resources for individuals with FASD and their families. 5. Assumptions (Underlying Conditions for Success): The success of this framework relies on the following assumptions: ● Cross-Ministerial Collaboration: Effective collaboration occurs across relevant ministries (e.g., Health, Children, Community and Social Services, Labour, Training and Skills Development) to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive approach. ● Meaningful Involvement of People with FASD and Their Families: Individuals with lived experience are actively involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the framework. ● Capacity Building of Support Organizations: Existing and new organizations have the capacity and resources to deliver specialized FASD-informed employment and financial literacy supports. ● Employer Willingness to Engage: Employers are receptive to learning about FASD and are willing to implement inclusive hiring practices and provide accommodations. ● Availability of Adequate Funding: Sufficient and sustained financial resources are allocated to support the development and implementation of the framework's outputs. ● Accurate Identification and Referral: Improved systems for identifying individuals with FASD (even without a formal diagnosis) and connecting them to appropriate supports are in place. 6. External Factors (Potential Influences Beyond the Framework's Control): External factors that could influence the success of the framework include: ● Economic Climate: Overall economic conditions and job market fluctuations can impact employment opportunities. ● Public Awareness and Stigma: Prevailing societal attitudes and stigma surrounding disability and FASD can influence employer willingness to hire and social inclusion. ● Availability of Diagnostic Services: While the framework acknowledges the high rates of undiagnosed FASD, increased access to timely and accurate diagnosis could further inform support needs. ● Changes in Government Priorities: Shifts in political priorities and funding allocations could impact the sustainability of the framework. Budget Estimate and Return on Investment (ROI): Estimated Budget (Initial 5-Year Implementation): This is a preliminary estimate based on Alberta’s current plan and requires detailed costing based on specific Ontario program design and scale. ● FASD-Specific Employment Support Programs: $5 million/year (includes staffing, training materials, outreach) = $25 million ● Supported Employment Initiatives: $3 million/year (includes job coaches, employer engagement) = $15 million ● Micro-Grant and Seed Funding: $2 million/year (direct funding to individuals) = $10 million ● Employer Training and Awareness Programs: $1 million/year (curriculum development, workshops, online resources) = $5 million ● Provincial FASD Employment Network: $500,000/year (coordination, communication, events) = $2.5 million ● Accessible Financial Literacy Training: $500,000/year (curriculum development, facilitators) = $2.5 million ● Policy Advocacy and Research: $200,000/year (consultations, report development) = $1 million ● Public Awareness Campaigns: $1 million/year (media, materials, events) = $5 million ● Culturally Relevant Indigenous Supports: $3 million/year (community-led initiatives, partnerships) = $15 million ● Centralized Resource Hub: $300,000/year (website development, maintenance, staffing) = $1.5 million ● Evaluation and Monitoring: $500,000/year (data collection, analysis, reporting) = $2.5 million ● Contingency (10%): $8.5 million Total Estimated Budget (5 Years): Approximately $85 million Return on Investment (ROI): While quantifying the exact ROI can be complex, Alberta estimates their return on investment for their provincial FASD strategy to be between 150% and 290%. CanFASD estimates the annual cost of FASD in Ontario is $600 million primarily in productivity loss, special education, justice costs, health care and social services so the potential benefits of this framework could significantly outweigh the costs in the following ways: ● Reduced Social Assistance Costs: By enabling more individuals with FASD to become employed, the reliance on social assistance programs will decrease, leading to significant cost savings for the government. ● Increased Tax Revenue: Employed individuals contribute to the tax base through income tax and consumption taxes. ● Increased Economic Productivity: Engaging a currently underutilized segment of the population in the workforce will boost overall economic productivity and address labour shortages. ● Reduced Healthcare Costs: Improved economic well-being and social inclusion can lead to better mental and physical health outcomes, potentially reducing healthcare costs associated with poverty and unmet needs. ● Reduced Involvement in the Justice System: Individuals with FASD are disproportionately represented in the justice system. Increased economic stability and support can contribute to reduced crime rates and associated costs. ● Improved Quality of Life and Well-being: Increased income and economic independence lead to improved self-esteem, social inclusion, and overall quality of life for individuals with FASD and their families. ● Strengthened Communities: Inclusive communities that value the contributions of all their members are stronger and more resilient. ● Addressing Intergenerational Poverty: Breaking the cycle of poverty for individuals with FASD can have positive impacts on future generations. Qualitative ROI: Beyond the quantifiable economic benefits, the framework will yield significant qualitative returns, including: ● Increased Dignity and Self-Worth: Enabling individuals with FASD to earn their own income fosters a sense of dignity and self-worth. ● Greater Social Inclusion and Participation: Employment provides opportunities for social interaction and integration into the community. ● Reduced Stigma and Discrimination: Increased visibility of employed individuals with FASD can help to challenge negative stereotypes and promote understanding. ● Alignment with Human Rights Principles: The framework upholds the rights of individuals with disabilities to equal opportunities and full participation in society. Conclusion: Implementing a comprehensive Ontario framework grounded in the UN Development Group Theory of Change is a crucial investment in the well-being and potential of people living with FASD. By focusing on income generation and poverty elimination through targeted supports, increased employer awareness, and systemic changes, Ontario can create a more inclusive and equitable society while realizing significant economic and social returns. The estimated budget, while substantial, is a necessary investment to address a significant and often overlooked societal challenge, ultimately leading to long-term cost savings and a more prosperous and just Ontario for all.

FASD and the Workplace

Oct 3, 2025 In this final blog on FASD and Employment, we will look at the potential impact incorporating neurodiverse individuals into our workforce will have on our province. According to the 2021 Census, 10.1% of our population or 1.4 million non-Indigenous Ontarians are living below the poverty line or $26,570 annually. Also according to the 2021 Census, of the 73,000 Indigenous people living in Ontario and poverty, 33% live on a reserve and 16% live off-reserve. Finally, according to the Census, 21% of Ontarians or 1 in 5 people living in poverty are living with a disability. However, the Canadian Labour Market research shows while only 45.4% of Ontarians living with a disability are currently employed, they are generating a mean annual income of $59,000. Interestingly, the monthly Ontario Labour market report tracks unemployment for sex, age, visible minority, immigrant status and Indigenous group but does not for people living with disabilities. As a result, this current economic reality creates additional stress on our affordable housing market, food banks, emergency wards, shelters, support services and prisons. While a basic income is required to ensure a person living with a disability has the financial means to access employment services, communicate with employers, live in a stable and safe home, and have a healthy diet, ideally, it serves as a safety net during employment transitions according to the original purpose of ODSP as seen by several of our members. A person living with a disability just needs the opportunity to have increased economic well-being through workforce retention, have poverty eliminated, experience social inclusion for an improved quality of life. Through our focus groups of stakeholders, Rural FASD developed the following justification for an Ontario framework on income generation using the aforementioned United Nations ToC and the model established by Alberta in 2009 which currently has the highest income level and lowest poverty rates among people living with disabilities in the country. This justification is designed to serve as a starting point for dialogue in the hopes of creating future change. The key highlight is Alberta’s evaluation that their return on investment is between 150 to 290%. It should also be noted the budget will be much less due to already existing outputs in various Ministries and programs. The other recommendation our focus groups made was the initial focus of the framework needs to be on the educational system. Of the seven intermediate outcomes, enhanced skills and employability, strengthened support systems and improved financial literacy and management are the initial outcomes and best suited in our educational system using best practices for neurodiverse individuals. We recognize this information reflects a very large paradigm shift in our thinking and attitudes which is why bringing stakeholders together and identifying initial steps is crucial. This is why Rural FASD is one of many organizations partnering with CanFASD at its biannual international conference being held at the Hilton Downtown Toronto Oct 21-23. This conference’s theme is Shaping the Future of FASD: From Evidence to Action and spots are filling up fast. Finally, if you want to learn more on how people living with disabilities can be added to our workforce, please come to our next FASD Awareness Day at Queen’s Park on Thursday, Oct 23 from 10:30 to 1pm sponsored by MPP John Jordan of Lanark, Frontenac and Kingston. You will have an opportunity to speak directly and have lunch with multiple young adults living with FASD who have become employed. We also invite all MPP’s interested in speaking at this luncheon to contact Jayne at opm@ruralfasd.ca to be added to the itinerary. To all members of the public interested in attending, please reach out to your local MPP to join them as a guest. Rob More, MA, OCT Father of three amazing adult children living with FASD

Employment and Interdependence

Sept 7, 2025 In my last blog, the connection between unemployment and living with FASD was demonstrated. However, there are documented and researched solutions. As seen in multiple Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development reports, every employee requires certain skills. These skills include soft skills like communication, teamwork and problem-solving and technical skills in an area of strength for the individual. However, understanding what a strength-based approach for people living with FASD is not common knowledge within our labour force or support services. As seen by Dr. Popova’s report on the most common comorbid conditions associated with FASD, expressive and receptive language, affect or behavioural conditions, sensory, hearing and sight challenges are considerations for the majority of people living with FASD. In Dr. Pei’s research on Toward Healthy Outcomes, the employment sector is one of the key twelve sectors requiring support in order to achieve a healthy life outcome and is directly connected to interdependence. In the Anishinabek Nations model for supporting people living with FASD, Knowledge Keeper Charles Meekis of the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority follows Gregory Cajete’s research on Native Science’s Natural Law of Interdependence. However, all current programming and training in both our educational system and our employment agencies on these skills are designed for neurotypical individuals. Our programming uses institutionalized methods with the expectation that the individual has good receptive and expressive language skills, has some problem-solving capabilities, able to follow and contribute in social interactions and mental health strategies to manage anxiety and stress. While great progress has been made in these areas, it is important to note Ontario was denying entry to school for neurodiverse students in 1998 and was institutionalizing neurodiverse adults out of society up to 2008. We are still only one generation removed from no equity, diversity and inclusion for neurodiverse individuals. This means the high school class of 2026 will be the first to have never lived in a world where neurodiverse individuals were segregated from society. In our current employment sector, it is not surprising our largest untapped workforce demographic is individuals living with disabilities. Rural FASD, using the United Nations Theory of Change for Sustainable Development Goal for no poverty, followed the five key steps of creating sustainable change for these individuals. Using a focus group of individuals living with FASD and in poverty and led by a consultant, the initial issue was identified as 1) Provide employment support using a “walk alongside” model. This issue was then added as one of our five strategic priorities to complete our vision and mission. 2) We then identified who the stakeholders were and invited them to join us in the development of our plan. Those stakeholders included people living with FASD, support people, employment agencies, researchers, service providers and funders. 3) We then gathered together and determined the risks and assumptions associated with living with FASD and employment. While there were many which will be summarized in our final report at the end of this project, two key ones were employers, including the Province of Ontario, do not follow AODA guidelines related to readability levels for job descriptions. Through a sample audit of the Job Bank, every job description listed was written at a college level language or higher even if it only required a high school diploma education. Second, currently, provincial employment agencies due to a lack of knowledge capacity will at times refer people living with disabilities to federal partners who receive dedicated funding creating a loop of no lead agency and no direct support. 4) With this information, we developed our plan of peer-supported mentorship and fully AODA compliant information sharing similar to the apprenticeship model but with a complete wrap-around support in all required sectors. 5) Finally, the initial results and data are demonstrating great results and now being copied by our partners. To meet some of the people being supported by this project, please come to our next FASD Awareness Day at Queen’s Park on Thursday, Oct 23 from 10:30 to 1pm sponsored by MPP John Jordan of Lanark, Frontenac and Kingston. You will have an opportunity to speak directly and have lunch with multiple neurodiverse adults who are currently employed. We also invite all MPP’s interested in speaking at this luncheon to contact Jayne at opm@ruralfasd.ca to be added to the itinerary. To all members of the public interested in attending, please reach out to your local MPP to join them as a guest. Rob More, MA, OCT Father of three amazing adult children living with FASD

FASD and Employment

While a lot of attention has rightly been given recently to the connection of people living with disabilities and poverty, most of the discussion has centred on universal basic income. However, the inherent challenges associated with UBI have become apparent again with the rollout of the Canadian Disability Benefit and changes to the Ontario Disability Support Program. Among some of the challenges is accessibility to diagnostic capacity, attitudinal stereotypes, and lack of knowledge capacity within key sectors. Rural FASD, with its innovative grassroots approach to problem-solving, has learned and implemented solutions among our most vulnerable individuals, neurodiverse individuals currently undiagnosed. It is important to note all our current funding models assume that every person living with a disability has received a medical diagnosis. Yet, Dr. Popova’s 2024 study for the Public Health Agency of Canada demonstrates that in Ontario, we diagnosed 1347 of the current 562,800 Ontarians living with FASD between 2015 and 2019. Recent increases to Ontario’s FASD diagnostic capacity has improved our rate but Dr. Popova concluded 98% of Ontarians living with FASD are still currently undiagnosed or 551,544 out of 562,800 individuals. Because ODSP, Passport Funding and CDB require a diagnosis, universal basic income is not an option for these neurodiverse individuals. It is not surprising then that StatsCan states 74% of Ontarians living with very severe disabilities such as FASD are living in poverty in the recently released Canadian Survey on Disabilities and confirmed by the Labour Force Survey. It should be noted as well that the unemployment rate is twice as high for people living with FASD ages 16-24 versus all other age groups of people living with FASD. While the options for people living with FASD not wanting to live in poverty in Ontario are very limited, the most viable according to our members is sustainable employment. Considering the same Labour Force Survey states there are annually over 300,000 unfilled jobs in Ontario, there are still many challenges to overcome for people living with FASD to become employed. These challenges start with our educational system which does not currently receive any training or professional development on how to best support students living with FASD as proposed by Bill 172 in 2020. As a result, most of these students are isolated, trained to be dependent on adult support, and not receiving the basic foundational and soft skills required to become employable. Following their educational training generally without a high school diploma, they transitioned into the adult world with little to no technical or communication skills. They have no viable option to upgrade their skills through post-secondary learning and no understanding how to navigate the employment sector. It is at this time they are most vulnerable to human trafficking, food insecurity, mental health challenges, gang involvement, incarceration and homelessness. Without a strong network, their focus becomes daily survival resulting in greater challenges. However, it does not need to be like this. Rural FASD and our partners such as the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Adoption Council of Ontario, Open Doors for Lanark Children and Youth, the Town of Smiths Falls, the Municipality of North Grenville, the Townships of Edwardsburg-Cardinal, Beckwith, and Montague and the Counties of Lanark and Leeds-Grenville has changed this trajectory. To learn more on how this has been accomplished, please come to our next FASD Awareness Day at Queen’s Park on Thursday, Oct 23 from 10:30 to 1pm sponsored by MPP John Jordan of Lanark, Frontenac and Kingston. You will have an opportunity to speak directly and have lunch with multiple young adults living with FASD who have overcome these challenges. We also invite all MPP’s interested in speaking at this luncheon to contact Jayne at opm@ruralfasd.ca to be added to the itinerary. To all members of the public interested in attending, please reach out to your local MPP to join them as a guest. Rob More, MA, OCT Father of three amazing adult children living with FASD