Celebrating excellence at Grandview Kids

Strategic Direction 4: Celebrating excellence at Grandview Kids

Power of One Award

Winner: Kaitlynn Bird, Autism Therapy Assistant (ATA) 

Kaitlynn started her career at Grandview Kids in the fall of 2019, just before the pandemic changed our world. Amidst all the associated challenges, she was able to connect and make an incredible difference in the lives of many children and families with her talents and passion.  Kaitlynn’s nomination came from one of her many happy client families – the Robbs. 

The Robbs shared their appreciation for all the Grandview clinicians and staff who have been part of their journey, but noted Kaitlynn had a particularly profound impact on their lives. Their son was diagnosed with Autism at Age 10; the family was provided with a lot of information and felt overwhelmed, saying, “We needed someone to know our son, care about him, and support him in a way that is uniquely right for him. Looking back, we were in crisis.” 

That’s when Kaitlynn entered their world. Even over Zoom, Kaitlynn was able to establish a strong connection with their son, and really got to know him as a person. She was able to switch gears if needed and support him in the moment, problem solving issues of all types and magnitudes.  

Kaitlynn supported his developing emotional regulation, which allowed for better reading and writing. His relationships improved, and the outbursts ceased. He caught up to his peers in reading (a jump from a Grade 1 to a Grade 8 reading level), and he became engaged at school and with friends. He is now ready to move forward on his own. The Robbs will never forget the skills and support Kaitlynn has provided, noting their son carries them with him now, continuing to help him along his journey. 

The family adds, “I can’t imagine where we would be now if Kaitlynn hadn’t come into our lives. We will eternally be grateful to her. That is the power of one person.” 

Making a Difference Award

Winner: Mitchell Daniels, Ability Acceptance Presenter and Archivist

Our Making a Difference Award recipient, Mitchell Daniels, is an inclusion champion and passionate professional who tirelessly works toward the betterment of Grandview Kids, our clients and their caregivers.

Mitchell’s dedication to our organizational vision and mission is unparalleled. He has exemplified Grandview Kids’ values through his unwavering commitment to inclusivity and advocacy. Mitchell’s role as our Ability Acceptance Presenter is not just a job; it’s a calling—a calling to champion a more inclusive community for the children and youth we serve. Through his dynamic presentations to hundreds of people on being an Inclusive Ally, Mitchell has reached countless hearts and minds, spreading a message of acceptance, understanding and empathy.

Mitchell’s energy is palpable, and his authenticity is infectious. He shares his story of resilience and overcoming adversity, inspiring others to act and become advocates for change. Change that benefits all Grandview families. Mitchell’s impact extends far beyond the walls of our organization; his Ability Acceptance social media vlog series has garnered thousands of views and shares, amplifying his message of inclusivity to even greater audiences.

But Mitchell’s contributions do not end there. He is a vital member of our IDEA Committee, lending his perspective and expertise to initiatives that promote neurodiversity affirming care and cultural understanding. His dedication to preserving our organization’s rich history as our Archivist showcases yet another dimension of his talents and passion. Mitchell’s efforts to catalogue thousands of photos, documents and artifacts for the Grandview Kids Archives has enabled us to reconnect with our past and inspire future generations.

In the words of those who have had the privilege of experiencing Mitchell’s presentations, he is “truly a shining star.” Mitchell’s passion, energy and vast expertise have not only made a difference in our community and organization today, but will continue to resonate for years to come.

Celebrating our history

Grandview Kids celebrated its 70^th anniversary in 2023, marking decades of commitment to providing family-centred, rehabilitation care in Durham Region. This milestone was honoured by creating an official Grandview Kids Archives, including documents, files, photos, videos and artifacts that capture memories and moments from Grandview’s past. Throughout the year, items were displayed in a traveling, interactive Roadshow to all Grandview Kids locations, and showcased through web features on social media and our client newsletter.

Communications Awards

The work of our Communications and Marketing team is often behind-the-scenes, supporting Grandview Kids by promoting programs and services, raising awareness about key issues across internal and external audiences, protecting and positioning our brand, managing partnerships, overseeing engagement activities, planning and executing events, liaising with government officials, maintaining multiple digital platforms and social media channels, and strategically communicating to support change initiatives.

This year, our small, but mighty, Communications and Marketing team earned three prestigious awards, proving that even small teams can have big impacts. Thank you and congratulations to this incredible group for their skills in support of Team Grandview and those we serve!

• 2024 IABC OVATION Award of Excellence for our 2022-23 Year in Review: OVATION Awards is dedicated to honouring excellence in communications throughout the Greater Toronto Area. IABC is the leading professional association for communicators. In every scoring category, we scored higher than the category average, indicating we are in the highest quality of submissions.
• 2023 Gold MarCom Award for 2022-23 Year in Review and Honourable Mention for Gather newsletter: MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievements by marketing and communication professionals. The Gold Award is presented to those entries judged to exceed the high standards of the industry norm. Honourable Mention certificates are granted to those entries that meet the expectations of the judges. The contest received more than 6,500 submissions this year.

Family Leader Program

The Family Leader Program at Grandview Kids comprises parents, caregivers, clients and siblings who support Grandview Kids as our advocates, ambassadors and advisors. We recognize clients and families/caregivers as important partners in care and consistently seek to embed their voices into our programs, services and decision-making processes. It includes many forums for families, caregivers and clients to get involved to make a difference for others in their community who access Grandview Kids programs and services.

Many thanks to the incredible, dedicated volunteers who participated in the Family Leader Program in 2023-24!

Family Advisory Council

Volunteer panel of parents/caregivers to Grandview Kids who provide advice and guidance from a client and family perspective. They aim to improve the planning and delivery of programs and services at the Centre and across the broader paediatric health system.

In 2023-24, the FAC was instrumental in helping Grandview Kids design its new Strategic Plan. From the outset, we committed to equally balancing the voice of parents and clients with that of our organization’s decision-makers to develop the new Plan.

Youth Advisory Council

Volunteer panel of clients, siblings and grads who host events and provide feedback to the organization on topics that affect our youth clients, while earning valuable volunteer hours.

The YAC was equally impactful in helping define strategic directions and goals for the organization as Grandview Kids developed its new Strategic Plan. The YAC provided input on priorities and language to use throughout the Plan. The YAC also hosted our most successful Accessible Trick-or-Treating event to-date, with more than 600 registrants!

Ambassador Program

Families tell their stories to support the Centre and Foundation in fundraising initiatives, media opportunities and events.

Ambassadors are highly valued by Grandview Kids and the Grandview Kids Foundation. The Ambassador Program was created to give Grandview families an opportunity to share their Grandview journey with the community. It began in 2012 when parents voiced a desire to give back to Grandview Kids for the support they receive. They wanted to share how Grandview Kids viewed their child(ren) and families as individuals with an important and impactful story. These families have a passionate story to tell of how much Grandview has made a difference in their lives.  They also provide a strong message about the importance of giving to help other families like theirs.

Thank you to all our Ambassador Program families.

If you’re interested in becoming a member of our Ambassador Program, FAC or YAC, please email familyengagement@grandviewkids.ca.