Tia McCann is a 22-year-old from Tecumseh, Ontario. Tia spent her first 3 years of life in the foster care system, moving from foster home to foster home, carrying her belongings in a garbage bag. She was adopted when she was 3.5 years old along with her 6-year-old brother and 2.5-year-old sister. She was blessed with a forever family who has taught her that blood does not make you family, but love does. This experience made her want to pursue a diploma in Child and Youth Care from St. Clair College and she now works with children with disabilities and trauma.

As someone who has been through the foster care system and who has experienced loss, she wants to be a voice for those who feel unheard. Due to her trauma, growing up, she had low self worth, low self confidence, felt socially awkward and made mistakes. At times, she felt she was seen as being a bad person. Today, she wants to make people aware that children and teens who behave badly, are not necessarily bad people, their behaviour can come from trauma and unmet needs which, with the right amount of understanding, compassion, forgiveness, listening ears and lots of love, can be fixed. Tia believes that we all have the chance to be a difference maker in a person’s life and help them heal from trauma and become a thriving and successful human being.

Tia started competing in pageants in 2018, both at the national and local levels. Being involved in pageants has opened opportunities for her to be a guest speaker at various events and talk about the desperate need of foster and adoptive homes in our communities; the importance of seeing beyond a child’s behaviour; the necessity to not give up on a bad behaving child but love them where they are; believe in them and make them feel seen and heard.

Today, Tia works in the day care system and Family Respite helping children thrive through their challenges to be the best that they can be. She attributes being the confident woman she is today to the support of her family and friends, who accepted her and loved her through her bad behaviours. Especially her Nonna, who taught her the importance of loving herself first, before loving others. Tia has learned that her self worth comes from within herself, not from other people or situations. Through her platform, she wants to remind others of two lessons. First, is the importance of loving oneself by having healthy routines, being surrounded by positive people, believing in oneself, and never giving up. The second reminder is for parents, teachers, and caregivers, to see bad behaviour as a symptom of pain, hurt and unmet developmental needs. By listening to the child, giving unconditional love to make the child feel safe, it will promote healing, and encourage the child to strive to become the best that they can be.

One quote that Tia lives by was written by Carl Bard “although no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending.”