Media Release October 26, 2021 Youth From Foster Care Meet with Government Ministers for Fourth Annual Policy Solutions Day (Vancouver B.C) On Monday October 25, Fostering Change Community Organizers held eight meetings with provincial government ministers and their senior staff to brief them on issues facing youth who turn 19 MORE
Submission to Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services First Call’s September 2021 budget submission, highlighted five priority areas for children, youth, and their families, with recommendations for next year’s budget: Poverty reduction measures and income security for families Investments in early childhood development and prevention services Support youth MORE
MEDIA RELEASE Former youth in care and allies “19th Birthday Party” WHO: Youth from foster care, alumni of care, supporters and allies WHAT: A celebration of the resilience of youth transitioning from government care WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, August, 22nd – from 12 noon to 3pm. Over virtual platform “zoom” MORE
Today, Fostering Change, issued a media release today praising the provincial government for responding to concerns about youth aging out of care in this pandemic. Yesterday, government announced that youth who turn 19 during the COVID-19 pandemic will have their care agreements extended, and that those on the Agreements with MORE
This week, Fostering Change released a petition to take a stand with all youth who are in care and those who have aged out of care. Many of these youth are missing crucial support in this health crisis, and we are worried the “cliff” is more quickly approaching for our siblings and MORE
The Province of BC and the Adoption Council of Canada established the Adoption and Permanency Fund of BC to support individuals and organizations that are working to help British Columbia’s children and youth who are awaiting adoption and/or other permanent connections. The Fund is managed by the Victoria Foundation. The Adoption and MORE
Katherine McParland, Executive Director of A Way Home Kamloops, presented her newly-released report From Marginalized to Magnified: Youth Homelessness Solutions From Those With Lived Expertise to the March 11th First Call coalition meeting. The report was prepared in collaboration with her advisory group Youth Against Youth Homelessness BC and The Office of MORE
Last weekend, CTV W5 released their 25-minute special ‘Alone’ that features stories about the harrowing experience of youth aging out of foster care in BC. The special highlights the tragic story of Alex Gervais, who was taken into care when he was four-and-a-half years old. He lived in 17 different foster placements MORE
The Federation of Community Social Services of BC Youth Education Bursary assists young people that are or have been in care and want to pursue a career in the field of Human and Social Services. Bursaries support students with the financial costs of tuition, books, and supplies for post-secondary academic education, training, MORE
This week’s BC budget followed through on promises made in past budgets – including the BC Child Opportunity Benefit – but comes up short on new initiatives and investments that would assist children, youth and their families. “We need to invest more in upstream, preventative family supports,” commented Adrienne Montani, MORE
Earlier this month, McCreary Centre Society released their Ta Saantii Deu/Neso: A Profile of Métis Youth Health in BC report in partnership with Métis Nation BC. Using data from the 2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey, the report looks at the current health picture of Métis youth, their changing needs, and at disparities MORE
The Assembly of First Nations released a primer on new Indigenous child welfare legislation. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, Aki-kwe, Residential School History and Dialogue Centre Director and Professor of Law, wrote the report. It addresses the new federal legislation that came into effect for Canadians on January 1, 2020. Mary Ellen outlines that the MORE
The Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks’ Dream Fund supports young people in and from care to pursue their careers and achieve their goals through education and skill building. The Dream Fund includes two different bursaries that are distributed three times a year: in October, March and July. The Education Achievement Bursary provides up MORE
On Wednesday, February 26, First Call is hosting a meeting of organizations and programs serving youth who will be transitioning out of government care or have already transitioned out of care. The agenda will focus on sharing information on existing services, challenges, observed trends, possibilities! This will also help inform our MORE
McCreary Centre Society’s Youth Research Academy is inviting 18-year-old youth who are in government care, or an alternative to government care (e.g., on a Youth Agreement), as well as 19-year-old youth who were in government care (or alternative) prior to their most recent birthday to join a longitudinal study about MORE