A Collective Voice for BC’s Children, Youth and Families
For more than three decades, First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society has worked to keep the well-being of children, youth and families at the centre of public policy in British Columbia.
What began in 1995 as First Call: BC Child and Youth Coalition, a coalition of organizations with a shared concern has grown into First Call Child and Youth Advocacy Society, one of the province’s most respected independent voices for children and youth. First Call brings together research, community experience and collective advocacy to influence public policy and improve outcomes for children, youth and families across BC.
While the organization’s structure has evolved, its purpose has remained consistent: Bringing people together to improve the lives of children and youth.
The early 1990s brought changes in social policy and growing concern about the well-being of children, youth and families in British Columbia. Advocates and agencies increasingly recognized that child poverty, access to quality early childhood programs, family economic security and supports for vulnerable young people required stronger public attention and coordinated advocacy.
Community agencies delivered essential services but often had limited capacity for independent advocacy. Researchers generated important evidence but were not advocacy organizations. Labour organizations championed workers and families, while municipal child advocates demonstrated the value of speaking up for children within their own communities.
This growing focus on children’s rights was reinforced when Canada ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991.
When BC participants joined national discussions in Ottawa about children’s rights and next steps, they recognized what was missing: an independent, province-wide organization that could unite diverse perspectives, connect research with community experience, and advocate for meaningful policy change in British Columbia.
First Call was created to fill that gap.
Rather than speaking for a single organization or issue, the coalition united people around a simple but powerful belief: BC’s children and youth deserve to be a public priority, and lasting change requires collaboration, credible evidence and a shared voice.
From its earliest days, First Call was built on collaboration.
Founding leaders, early champions and support came from family service organizations, research institutions, labour organizations and community agencies. Among those who helped lay the foundation are pediatrician Dr. Bob Armstrong; Michael Goldberg of SPARC BC; Ruth Annis of Nisha Family and Children’s Services Society; Elinor Ames of the Society for Children and Youth of BC; Rita Chudnovsky, the City of Vancouver’s first Child Advocate; Ian Mass of the Office of the Child, Youth and Family Advocate; and Cindy Carson, First Call’s first provincial coordinator.
Researchers, including Dr. Clyde Hertzman, also strengthened First Call’s commitment to evidence-informed public policy. His frequently quoted words —“It doesn’t have to be this way”— offered a powerful call to action for those working to improve the lives of children and youth.
These leaders understood that no single organization could address the complex issues affecting children and families alone. By sharing knowledge, coordinating advocacy and learning from one another, First Call built a stronger and more influential voice than any one organization could achieve on its own.
Today, First Call is a charitable society that works with diverse cross-sector network of affiliate organizations across British Columbia. Its affiliates contribute local knowledge, practical experience and varied perspectives, helping ensure that First Call’s advocacy remains grounded in communities across British Columbia.
“It doesn’t have to be this way”
– Dr. Clyde Hertzman
From the beginning, First Call recognized that children’s well-being depends on many interconnected factors.
Its work reflects the understanding that healthy early childhood development, economic security, supportive communities and successful transitions to adulthood are deeply connected.
These priorities are our Four Keys to Success for Children and Youth:
- A strong commitment to early childhood development
- Support in transitions from childhood to youth and adulthood
- Increased economic equality
- Safe and caring communities
The Four Keys continue to guide First Call’s advocacy. Rather than treating issues in isolation, First Call promotes policies that recognize the whole child and the systems that support children and their families.
As First Call’s reputation grew, so did its influence. The organization became known for producing evidence-informed research that helps shape public discussion and policy in British Columbia.
In partnership with SPARC BC, First Call produces the annual BC Child Poverty Report Card, a long-running source of data, analysis and policy recommendations on child and family poverty. The report card is released alongside Campaign 2000’s national report card, linking BC’s experience to national conversations about poverty and economic security. A signature project, it has become a trusted resource, used by other organizations, governments, and the media.
Over the years, First Call and its many partners have also advanced research and policy advocacy on issues including public education, housing, early childhood development, affordable child care, youth transitioning from government care, family economic security, child labour standards, services for children and youth with disabilities, and protection from violence.
The organization has developed advocacy tools, election resources and government submissions, and has convened training sessions, workshops and public forums. This work has raised awareness, strengthened community advocacy and contributed to policy discussions across British Columbia.
First Call’s advocacy has also contributed to changes in public policy, including advocacy related to the BC Family Benefit and reforms to child labour standards. Its impact is measured not only in reports and public discussion, but also in laws, policies and benefits that affect children, youth and families.
In 2021, First Call entered a new phase by becoming an independent charitable society. While its legal structure and name changed, its collaborative approach did not.
Today, First Call works closely with affiliate organizations, researchers, community leaders, funders and partners across British Columbia and nationally. Becoming a charitable society strengthened the organization’s governance and capacity while preserving the collaborative spirit that has defined it since the beginning.
The transition was not a change in mission. It was the continued evolution of an organization committed to supporting children, youth and families for generations to come.
One of First Call’s greatest strengths is its ability to connect people.
The organization engages a large network of affiliates and community partners through surveys, consultations and ongoing dialogue. This helps ensure that its work reflects the experiences of children, families and the people and organizations that serve them throughout BC.
Collaboration has helped advance important initiatives that had a direct effect on young lives. Affiliate advocacy contributed to the provincial government ending the clawback of child support payments for single parents receiving income assistance. First Call also worked with affiliates and labour partners to improve child labour standards.
The Fostering Change campaign brought First Call together with the Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks and many other youth-serving organizations. The Living Wage for Families campaign was built with research partners and launched alongside the Hospital Employees’ Union and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ BC Office.
First Call’s monthly newsletter, The Child and Youth Advocate, keeps thousands of readers informed about emerging research, public-policy developments and opportunities for collective action. Regular network meetings and the long-standing Early Childhood Development Roundtable provide forums for organizations, researchers, practitioners and advocates to share ideas, identify emerging issues and strengthen coordinated advocacy.
First Call also engages governments at the local, provincial and federal levels by providing input, offering feedback and seeking accountability. These relationships remain at the heart of its work.
Throughout its history, First Call has built enduring relationships with foundations, labour organizations, affiliate organizations, young people and community partners.
Their support reflects confidence in First Call’s evidence-informed approach, collaborative leadership and ability to bring people together around practical solutions that improve children’s well-being.
Strong leadership has also been central to the organization’s success. Under the current leadership of Executive Director Adrienne Montani, First Call continues to expand its research, strengthen its public profile and build partnerships that advance positive change across British Columbia.
The issues facing children and youth have changed over the past three decades, but the need for a strong, independent and collaborative voice has not.
First Call continues to bring together research, lived experience and community knowledge to advocate for policies that support children, youth and families.
From its beginnings as a coalition to its evolution as an independent charitable society, First Call has remained guided by the belief that children, youth and families deserve to be heard; that children should have “first call” on our resources; and that meaningful improvement happens when people work together.
That belief continues to shape First Call’s work—and its future.