Literally thousands of children and teenagers have passed through our Centre since we first opened its doors over 30 years ago.   The children we see are like all children. They came into the world with the same special spark that glitters in every newborn’s eyes. They play and get dirty, and maybe don’t clean up their rooms very often. There are always bumps along the way. But with love and patience, they have the potential to grow from tireless toddlers into busy teenagers and, eventually, to blossom as nurturing parents. These children differ only in the circumstances that bring them to us: abuse, criminal victimization, exploitation, inter-parental conflict, or the sad fact that their parents are simply unable to care for them. Often, they are re-living their parents’ childhoods, trapped in the cycle that carries the tragedies of one generation on to the next.   Long before they arrive at our door, their life trajectories have been wrenched in the direction of school failure, emotional turmoil, substance abuse, teen parenthood and, for some, crime. Nevertheless, we have good reasons to hold onto hope for their future and for future generations. As you will see in our brochure, the Centre offers a wide array of tools, skills and programs for rebuilding the supports these children need to achieve their full potentials. This year alone, we assisted almost 800 youth referred to our six clinical programs. We conducted over 100 training workshops and addresses for professional groups who work with youth at risk and we released an important new study offering essential benchmarks for interventions with serious young offenders.   Today, we would like to turn your attention to a special new initiative. The Centre is ready to focus more of its attention “upstream.” Preventing problems is always preferable to treating them. We have seen, first hand, the urgent need for better ways to recognize and prevent family problems before destructive influences exert their hold on our children. But prevention is a far more difficult mission to achieve. Exploring these waters requires long-range perspective coupled with long-term planning of both the directions we will take and the resources we will need. This is the goal of the Upstream Endowment.   The Upstream Endowment has been created to generate a base of funds that will work continuously over the coming years to support the prevention efforts of the Centre.   Our various clinical programs have been very successful in attracting the grants needed to support their operation — but the kind of effort required for our “upstream” mission calls for a different approach to funding. By drawing dividends from a fixed endowment, the Centre will be able to foster a productive environment for research and support the many unfunded activities that are so vital to our ongoing work. It will establish the continuity the Centre needs to plan effectively for long-term success.   We believe in a world where all children are well nurtured; where the hopes of all parents can grow to fruition; where the legacy of every generation is the strength and health of the next. We believe that this vision is one that you share. We hope you will give generously to Upstream Endowment. We have a lot of work to do. With our deepest thanks... Linda L. Baker, Ph. D., C. Psych. Executive Director Peter G. Jaffe, Ph. D., C. Psych. Director Emeritus