A remarkable year of events, continued growth, and distinction at Empowered Kids Ontario has continued to make profound positive differences for developmental healthcare, for our members, and for the kids and families they serve.
Our vision is deeply rooted in the principles of teamwork. We believe that collaboration across sectors unlocks new opportunities that deliver the most outstanding clinical care and programs for kids with disabilities and developmental needs and their families. Working together leverages diverse expertise and perspectives, leading to innovative solutions for the complex challenges facing developmental healthcare.
In this spirit, we are particularly enthusiastic about exploring new frontiers such as integrating AI to transform our operations. By embracing these cutting-edge technologies our EKO team can increase efficiency, save costs, enhance decision-making and boost our performance.
EKO is one of 11 organizations nationwide that is a recipient of the largest ever philanthropic donation focused on disability in Canada's history. The Slaight Family Foundation's one million dollar gift to EKO is building clinical capacity to include Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology—one of the boldest emerging sciences—in care delivery across EKO member sites. Over the next five years, more kids and families across Ontario will benefit from the latest technology enabling recreation and cognitive skills development for kids limited by physical barriers. In addition to advancing BCI, this gift supports EKO's activities to further acceptance of those with disabilities.
The impact of disability exclusion is significant, not only on those with disabilities and developmental needs and their families, but on our culture and economy as well. The Slaight Family Foundation has brought these 11 organizations together as the National Disability and Inclusion Working Group, dedicated to disability care and awareness, to addressing ableism, and creating a more inclusive society for us all. EKO is honoured to be a member and contributor in this esteemed cross-country partnership.
We're also proud to be representing EKO as a member of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence Champions Table, advocating for the first-ever national caregiving strategy. One in four Canadians is a caregiver at some time in their lives. Parents all serve as a caregiver from time to time, but that is not the same as the primary caregiver role thousands take on the moment they became a mom or dad, or a sister or brother, to one of more than 800,000 Canadian kids that have a disability that is part of their daily life.
Bringing our members, partners and interest holders together is a priority for the association and the EKO Spring Symposium has quickly become the place to be. This is EKO's flagship event and Canada's pinnacle developmental health conference. The 2025 EKO Spring Symposium brought together 350 delegates—our largest audience yet—for an incredible virtual advance keynote and stellar program of plenary and breakout sessions, poster presentations, and exhibits by special guests FIRST Robotics.
EKO conducted a value proposition audit which informed our strategic planning, shaping a seven-year plan built around the mission for EKO to enable association members to realize their vision for kids with disabilities and developmental needs and their families to live their best lives. This was a provocative and energizing process that affirmed EKO's mission to our members and drove the association's path to a 20-year vision. Read about our 2025 - 2032 Strategic Plan here.
Our report gives you a glimpse of the incredible work this past year and an invitation to learn more about our commitment to systematic change as we reimagine a more equitable world for kids with disabilities and developmental needs and their families.
Sincerely,
Chair
President & CEO
EKO members are publicly funded agencies providing clinical care and programs for kids with disabilities and developmental needs and their families, and not-for-profit organizations serving equity-deserving populations—all those who are dedicated to advancing innovative clinical applications, improving our understanding of developmental healthcare, and translating knowledge.
EKO members offer clinical care in schools and in the community, including:
Research matters. Research expands our knowledge, leads to innovation and new clinical approaches and technologies, improves decision making, drives progress, and provides a reliable way to solve challenges by testing ideas and understanding questions from multiple perspectives. Research is fundamental to improving children's healthcare, and our wider understanding of developmental health.
Knowledge translation bridges the gap between research and real-world practice, ensuring valuable research findings are used to improve outcomes for kids with disabilities and developmental needs. EKO and our members are dedicated to putting knowledge into action, promoting the best thought leadership and evidence-based practice available.
EKO supports research and knowledge translation:
This year EKO was gifted funds for an additional award, courtesy of a one-time grant from Ontario Association of Families with Children with Communication Disorders, flowed to EKO as their organization dissolved. The EKO Board of Directors approved a slate of eight promising young people from across Ontario, each dedicated to their education and contributing to their communities.
The program attracted an astounding 24 nominations with at least one in each of the six categories. Our 15 recipients are engineers, lawyers, students, clinician/scientists, leaders, those who work in developmental health, a Canada Research Chair, recipients of the Order of Canada, grassroots organizers, film and television producers, journalists, filmmakers, and community volunteers—all outstanding individuals, teams, and organizations. Each award and each honouree demonstrates the breadth of representation and connection for kids with disabilities and developmental needs and their families.
Honourees received their award at a presentation by Dr. Laverne Jacobs, University of Windsor Professor of Law and Canada's Representative on the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Honourees traveled from Buffalo, Sarnia, London Ontario and as far away as Vancouver—demonstrating the value of this award and recognition.
| 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted Contributions | $ | $ |
| CRISP | — | 768,900 |
| CIS - Client Information System | 1,113,386 | 1,964,492 |
| DIDP - Data Integration & Dashboard Project | 1,081,336 | — |
| 2,194,722 | 2,733,392 | |
| Restricted Expenses | ||
| CRISP | — | 768,900 |
| CIS - Client Information System | 1,113,386 | 1,964,492 |
| DIDP - Data Integration & Dashboard Project | 1,081,336 | — |
| 2,194,722 | 2,733,392 | |
| Excess of restricted revenue over restricted expenses | ||
| Unrestricted Revenue | ||
| Membership | 1,204,973 | 1,131,336 |
| Other revenue | 49,252 | 216,340 |
| Annual Conference | — | 209,549 |
| Interest income | 101,579 | 84,067 |
| Donations | — | 10 |
| 1,355,804 | 1,641,302 | |
| Unrestricted Expenses | ||
| Salaries & benefits | 706,195 | 808,267 |
| Professional fees | 116,661 | 242,848 |
| Marketing and communication | 51,028 | 36,161 |
| Office | 111,294 | 87,615 |
| Committees | 60,907 | 40,643 |
| Travel | 15,383 | 19,528 |
| Scholarships | $ 24,000 | $ 15,000 |
| Rent | 11,469 | 11,397 |
| Project expenses | $2,286 | 6,318 |
| Professional development | 6,734 | 12,798 |
| Board | 15,169 | 12,415 |
| Special Projects | 62,338 | — |
| Annual Conference | — | 283,983 |
| 1,183,464 | 1,576,973 | |
| Excess of unrestricted revenue over unrestricted expenses | $ 172,340 | $ 64,329 |
| Operating fund, beginning of fiscal year | $ 1,369,591 | $ 1,305,262 |
| Operating fund, end of fiscal year | $ 1,541,931 | $ 1,369,591 |
