As part of their 2024 election platform, the government prioritized the creation of a universal school food program to ensure all students have access to healthy meals that support children’s health and development. As a member of the BC Chapter…
With the start of the Spring 2025 BC Legislature session about to begin, we wanted to ensure that all elected and re-elected MLA’s were familiar with the statistics and stories about how worsening poverty is affecting families with children in…
First Call is calling on the Minister of Children and Family Development to amend the regulations under the Social Work Act to require mandatory registration with the BC College of Social Workers for all social workers in BC in order…
On March 21, 2024, First Call wrote to Chair Senator Brent Cotter and members of the Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, urging them to pass Bill C-291. Passing this bill would amend the Criminal Code and other…
In 2018 First Call made a submission to the BC Government recommending that they redesign the BC Early Childhood Tax Benefit into a BC Child Benefit that would cover children under age 18, instead of under age 6, increase the…
On November 23, 2023 First Call sent a letter to all BC MPs and relevant federal cabinet ministers urging them to support Bill S-210, the Protecting Young Persons from Exposure to Pornography Act. This bill passed the Senate by acclamation…
In November 2023, friends at Corinne’s Quest alerted us to an upcoming vote in Parliament on BC MP Peter Julian’s Bill C-273 calling for the repeal of Section 43. If MPs get enough encouragement from their constituents, we’re hopeful it…
First Call’s submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance for Budget 2024 includes recommendations that would help to improve the lives of families who are living in poverty. Those recommendations include: Read First Call’s submission here.
In our 2022 BC Child Poverty Report Card, First Call recommended that the provincial government “Provide free public transit for minors ages 13 to 18 and free or reduced-fee transit access for low-income households.” In June 2023 we wrote to…
On June 13, 2023 First Call submitted a letter to Health Canada recommending changes to current policy proposals for regulations that will restrict the advertising to children of “Prescribed Foods Sodium, Sugars and Saturated Fat.” First Call is a long-time…
First Call wrote to BC Members of Parliament about the findings in our 26th annual BC Child Poverty Report Card. The report found that during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, BC’s child poverty rate dropped significantly largely due…
First Call’s submission to the BC government’s Budget 2024 consultation included recommendations in three key policy areas. Drawing from the recommendations in our 2022 BC Child Poverty Report Card we encouraged government to increase investments in targeted child poverty reduction…
Our recent submission to the review of the BC government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy is informed by the cross-sectoral expertise and province-wide reach of our diverse network of affiliates, a commitment to the Four Keys to Success, and findings from our…
On April 10, First Call wrote to the Prime Minister and Minister Duclos urging them to restrict the marketing of unhealthy food and beverages to children and youth. Along with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Childhood Obesity Foundation,…
On April 10, First Call wrote to BC Senators urging them to support Bill S-251, put forward by Senator Stanley Kutcher, calling for the repeal of Section 43 of the Criminal Code. Section 43 allows adults to “use force by…
