Using her extensive knowledge of and experience in the child-welfare system, and her keen interest in human rights issues pertaining to young people from within these systems, Cheyanne Ratnam is making a big name for herself.
Ratnam is harnessing/channeling her own experiences with child sexual abuse, child welfare, homelessness, and mental health stigmas - using resilience and passion to give back to her inter-connected communities in a profound way.
Ratnam currently serves as project manager and founder for the ‘What's The Map?!: Newcomer Youth Leading The Call to Action - Designing a Support System That Works' initiative, and as the founder and primary investigator of the Child Welfare Permanency and Family Project (Study) with a provincial scope. In these roles, she works to affect the educational and successful outcomes of young people and tackle issues such as: the social determinants of health, poverty and equity; permanency and family conceptualization and construction; community engagement, development and mobilization; and, immigration.
In addition, Ratnam has lent her considerable talent to a number of other community organizations. She is the President of Youth In Care Ontario, Ontario’s Representative and the chair of the Education and Research Committee for Youth In Care Canada, and an ambassador and public speaker for the Children's Aid Foundation. Ratnam was also involved in the Hidden in Our Midst Newcomer Homeless Youth Study and has served with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, and the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth.
Ratnam has a social service worker diploma from Centennial College, and both a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work degrees form York University.