August 16, 2021
Dear Members,
Recently, we sent out annual membership renewal letters stating that ACTA required you to keep your certification and membership in good standing with the CYCAA until proclamation. We have just learned that this information has changed and you are no longer REQUIRED by ACTA to ensure your Certification or CYCAA Membership is in good standing, but they do SUGGEST that members remain connected to their Provincial Associations as best practice.
You have the right to choose if you wish to maintain your Certified Child and Youth Care Counsellor status; unless your employer REQUIRES it, in which case you will need to keep it. However, if you choose to let it go and find that you need it in the future you will need to start the application process from the beginning. Some employers highly value the evidence of knowledge and skill that a Certified Child and Youth Care Counsellor holds. It is our hope that as the profession continues to grow more employers will feel the same way and Certified Child and Youth Care Counsellors will be held in high regard.
Why stay connected to the CYCAA?
As Certified Child and Youth Care Counsellors, we are advancing the professional practice of Child and Youth Care in North America, setting the bar for education and knowledge, and most importantly making a difference in the lives of children and youth. Registering with the College will be a legal requirement to practice in Alberta and the entry to practice competencies are there to ensure that each practitioner has a base level of knowledge and skill to protect the public from unethical practice. Whereas, Certification offers a method of professional accountability and advanced professional competency within your discipline of practice and measured by your professional peers. Certification is evidence that you demonstrated a high level of expertise in your field of practice.
Annual renewal fees go toward keeping your Provincial Association afloat, Provincial Conferences, subsidizing training and professional development, managing an extensive database system, as well as the online learning platform. As you know, all of the Executive Board Members are volunteers who do not get paid. We do however have an office administrator who is paid for the incredible amount of work she does. Without annual membership fees, we would not be able to continue to advocate for the profession as a whole. It was your support and commitment as members that allowed us to bring Registration/Regulation/Legislation to fruition and now that it is alive and taken over by ACTA (soon to be College of Counselling Therapists) we need to put our efforts into other areas of advocacy such as working conditions and pay, as well as continuing to grow the discipline of Child and Youth Care through contributing to professional knowledge and training. We aim to be the top place for Child and Youth Care Professional Development, and we need your continued support. Please, don’t abandon us now that you are not required to maintain your membership.
We understand that for some of you the financial burden is an incredible and unmanageable hardship, and we certainly do not want to contribute to that. If that is you please contact us at the office for a refund and to void your Certification/Membership. For most others, we imagine you find this upsetting, as you just paid your fees. We hope that you will continue your membership with the CYCAA, and if you need some financial relief we can offer you an additional 6 months to your existing membership. That would put you halfway into the next membership year, at which point you can decide if you need to hold on to your Certification or drop down to a standard membership. If you require an extension on your membership please contact the office so we can make the adjustment in the database system.
Finally, for those of you who want to continue to support the work of the Child and Youth Care Association as full members and full Certified members THANK YOU! Your commitment and support will be rewarded in every way that we can offer.
Rewards of Membership
Full Certified Membership will ALWAYS receive a significant discount on any events or training offered by the Child and Youth Care Association.
Standard Membership will receive a discount to events and trainings that are available to the public (non-members).
Maintaining your membership will come in handy for the ongoing annual continued education requirements regulated by the College as all members will have access to all of the free events and trainings offered by the CYCAA, discounts for Continued Education opportunities, perks at various companies and businesses, insurance discounts, and the CYCAA job board. We continue to seek other perks for members to add to our collection as well, stay tuned for more…
Thank you so much for your support and commitment to building a strong professional discipline in Child and Youth Care.
Sincerely,
Michelle Briegel
President, Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta
www.cycaa.com