Mark Kartusch holds the position of Executive Director of Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. Prior to joining CCAS in January 2019, he was the Executive Director of Highland Shores Children’s Aid, a mixed urban/rural child welfare agency located along the north shore of Lake Ontario. His 30 years of work in child welfare in Ontario (Algoma, Durham and Hastings) and Saskatchewan has spanned a variety of roles from front line in child protection and residential work, and a variety of management positions until becoming Executive Director in 2012.
Born in Regina Saskatchewan, Mark was a product of the Catholic Education system, and it was there he eventually started his career in Social Services, working at a secure custody facility for Young Offenders as well as at a residential treatment and school program for adolescents.
Mark has worked in a variety of positions across the province from front-line child protection and residential worker, to supervisor of a receiving and assessment home, foster care and child protection. He has participated in a wide variety of provincial and regional committees in all areas of child welfare and was seconded to MCYS to work on the Child Welfare Amalgamation Project, which received an Amethyst Award. Mark has been involved in quality assurance since the early 90’s.
Mark is a strong advocate for both the importance of child welfare and in recognizing the harms that it has caused to Indigenous, African Canadian and other marginalized communities.
Mark has an unwavering commitment to the principle that children are entitled to a safe environment in a stable family within their community that facilitates their identity and growth.
Mark is married and has two children.
