Cybersecurity Incident Notification
November 5, 2026
The Children’s Foundation
About The Children’s Foundation
The Children’s Foundation (TCF) provides and funds programs that ensure children and youth in Hastings, Northumberland and Prince Edward Counties have social and physical opportunities to explore, learn, play and thrive.
In carrying out our work, we collect and maintain certain personal information relating to program applicants, donors, volunteers, Board members, employees, and other individuals connected to our organization.
What Happened?
On August 25, 2026, Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society (HSCA), the organization that provides information technology services to The Children’s Foundation, identified a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorized access to a portion of its network and the encryption of certain systems and data. HSCA immediately contained the incident, secured its systems, engaged third-party cybersecurity experts, and notified law enforcement and regulatory bodies.
The investigation determined that the unauthorized third party gained access to the network on July 6, 2026, and took a limited amount of data, including files containing personal information. As The Children’s Foundation stored information within the affected environment, some information relating to individuals associated with our organization may have been included in the impacted data.
Who Does This Notice Apply To?
If you have been associated with The Children’s Foundation in any of the following capacities, some of your personal information may have been included in the data taken during the incident:
· Volunteer
· Donor
· Current or former Board member
· Applicant to one of The Children’s Foundation’s programs
What Personal Information May Have Been Involved?
Depending on your relationship with The Children’s Foundation, the information may have included:
Name
Mailing address
Telephone number
Email address
Not all of the information listed above was necessarily affected for every individual.
The type of information involved varies depending on the records held.
HSCA has also advised that measures have been taken to prevent the affected information from being published or further misused.
What Is Being Done?
Protecting the personal information entrusted to The Children’s Foundation is extremely important to us.
Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society has been working with cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident, strengthen security measures and monitor for any potential misuse of the information.
We continue to work with HSCA to understand the impact on information relating to The Children’s Foundation and to ensure appropriate steps are taken to protect the privacy of those connected to our organization.
What You Can Do
At this time, no additional action is required. However, we encourage everyone to remain vigilant when receiving unsolicited emails, telephone calls or text messages requesting personal information.
The Children’s Foundation will never ask you to provide sensitive personal information through an unsolicited email or text message.
Your Privacy Rights
You have the right to contact the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) regarding privacy concerns.
For more information, please visit www.ipc.on.ca or contact the IPC at 416-325-7539 or info@ipc.on.ca.
Contact Information
If you have questions about this incident, please contact The Children’s Foundation at:
Telephone: 613-962-9292
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
We recognize that news of a cybersecurity incident may be concerning. The Children’s Foundation values the trust placed in us by our donors, volunteers, program participants and community partners, and we remain committed to protecting the personal information shared with our organization.
