Yuan Y. Stevens

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LinkedIn Yuan Y. Stevens is Senior Manager, External Relations at the Children's Aid Foundation of Canada (CAFC), Canada's only national foundation exclusively dedicated to improving outcomes for children and youth in the child welfare system. In this role, she helps lead communications and government relations efforts. As a lived expert of the child welfare system, Yuan was part of CAFC's founding Young People's Advisory Council in 2013.

Yuan is a public policy and external relations leader with over a decade of experience influencing decision-makers, shaping public discourse, and positioning organizations as trusted voices on complex public-interest issues. She has advised governments, civil society organizations, and academic institutions on technology, human rights, and equity, with a strong focus on how policy affects children, youth, and marginalized communities. Her work has been cited in parliamentary proceedings and covered by major Canadian and international media.

Prior to CAFC, Yuan served as Legal and Policy Advisor, Children's Digital Rights at Amnesty International in London, UK. She has also held policy and research roles at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, McGill University's Centre for Genomics and Policy, and The Dais at Toronto Metropolitan University, authoring more than 30 policy reports and government submissions.

Yuan brings deep experience in governance and organizational leadership. She currently serves on the board of Open Privacy Research Society and previously served as Board President of Head & Hands, a youth-serving organization with a $1M+ annual budget.

She holds an LL.M from the University of Ottawa, a JD/BCL from McGill University, and an Hon. Bachelor of Music Education from Western University. A classically trained pianist, she also holds a Bachelor of Education from OISE at the University of Toronto. In 2022, she received the Centre for Law, Society and Technology Impact Award for her thought leadership on technology policy in Canada.

When she's not at work, you can find Yuan reading James Baldwin or dancing with friends on the weekend.