Public Policy and Systems Change

Building stronger systems through advocacy, learning, and collaboration

How we’re supporting change

Laidlaw Foundation works with youth, communities, and policymakers to challenge and change the systems that shape young people’s lives. Our public policy work builds on what we learn from our grantees and partners to advocate for equitable and lasting solutions.

We see policy change as a shared responsibility. When youth-led and community-led initiatives reveal the barriers that exist within education, justice, child welfare, and environmental systems, we work alongside them to make sure that learning reaches decision-makers.

Our approach

Laidlaw Foundation uses its voice and position to support youth-led advocacy and community-driven solutions. Our role is not to speak for communities but to create conditions where their knowledge and experience inform public decisions.

We do this by:

Sharing evidence and learning from youth-led and Indigenous-led projects with policymakers and sector partners.
Convening conversations across philanthropy, community, and government to align resources toward systemic change.
Supporting grantees with communications and advocacy training to strengthen their influence and reach.
Promoting policy approaches that advance equity, reconciliation, and accountability across Ontario.

Our priorities

Laidlaw Foundation’s public policy work focuses on systems that have the greatest impact on young people’s futures:

Education

We advocate for accessible, relevant, and anti-racist education systems that affirm youth identity, foster belonging, and remove structural barriers to success.
Justice

We support reforms that address the overrepresentation of Black and Indigenous youth in the justice system and promote prevention, healing, and community-led safety.
Child welfare

We work toward systems that prioritize care, stability, and connection for youth in and leaving care, informed by youth with lived experience.
Environmental systems

We promote climate justice and environmental stewardship as essential to youth well-being, recognizing Indigenous knowledge and leadership as central to this work.

How we engage

Our policy work connects research, storytelling, and action. Laidlaw Foundation publishes insights, convenes learning spaces, and collaborates with governments and funders to make change possible.

We know that advocacy requires time, trust, and resources. That is why we provide grantees with the support they need to share their stories, build networks, and influence decisions that shape their communities.

Learning and accountability

Public policy work at Laidlaw Foundation is guided by humility and accountability. We continue to examine how our own practices and privilege as a funder influence the systems we seek to change.

We measure progress not only by policy shifts, but by how effectively youth and communities are leading those conversations and how power is redistributed in the process.