McCreary Centre Society released the 2018 BC Adolescent Health Survey. The Survey is the most reliable, comprehensive survey of youth aged 12–19 in British Columbia. The survey was first conducted in 1992 and has been completed every five years since. In 2018, over 38,000 young people aged 12–19 in 58 of MORE
Spotlight: Child Welfare is a collaborative journalism project that aims to deepen and improve reporting on B.C.’s child welfare system. Their goals are to produce in-depth, nuanced, data-driven and solutions‑oriented reporting about B.C.’s child‑welfare system, and to develop a model for collaborative journalism projects that folks can use in other regions MORE
The big news for families with children is that starting in October 2020 a new B.C. Child Opportunity Benefit will replace the Early Childhood Tax benefit. In our annual Child Poverty Report Card we have been calling for improvements to this benefit for years. BC is the only province MORE
Do you know someone who is making a difference in the lives of kids that are in or transitioning from the child welfare system? This National Award recognizes extraordinary Canadians or initiatives that have made an indelible mark on the child welfare landscape. The Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada will MORE
This morning the provincial government filed its response to a court action taken by the Public Guardian and Trustee regarding a former social worker accused of financial improprieties related to youth in government care. First Call is pleased to see that government “admits vicarious liability for the actions of the MORE
This week, the Representative of Children and Youth released their ‘Alone and Afraid: Lessons learned from the ordeal of a child with special needs and his family’ report. The report shared the story of a boy removed from his mother’s care in 2016. He had endured years of malnutrition and MORE
CHEK: West Coast LEAF says further progress is needed for B.C. to meet international women’s rights obligations Tri-City News: PoMo council wants free transit for youth APTN National News: ’A turning point’: New Indigenous child welfare legislation will save lives says Philpott The Tyee: Good Intentions on Indigenous Child Welfare MORE
CBC News: ‘There’s so many kids dying’: Mother says anti-gang program that saved her son desperately needs funding CBC News: Child poverty decreasing ‘pitifully slowly’ in B.C., report finds Vancouver Sun: B.C. child poverty figures remain bad, but report sounds note of optimism The Tyee: Whose Children Are Growing Up MORE
A British Columbia-based study conducted a comprehensive literature review, an environmental scan, and interviews with 20 former youth in care focusing on what helps and hinders youth in care to graduate from high school. The findings offered strong evidence that school is valued as a normative experience for normalcy and predictability. The MORE
First Call submitted our BC Budget 2019 consultation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services last week, which highlighted four recommendations: Enhancing and expanding BC’s child benefit to reduce family poverty Advice on the continued investments in a quality child care system Improvements to the supports for MORE
Vancouver Sun: Susan Russell: Youth leaving foster care need more support Markets Insider: TELUS is giving an unprecedented $120 million to help vulnerable youth reach their full potential CBC News: B.C. mother fighting to retrieve children taken to Lebanon CTV News: B.C. woman says adopted son’s citizenship not being processed, MORE
On October 15th, we submitted our recommendations to the 2019 BC Budget consultation. Our submission makes recommendations that would improve the lives of children, youth and families in BC that have been informed by our research and our member organizations on various themes. We highlight recommendations, which are followed by a list of MORE
Plates of Possibility is an initiative of Aunt Leah’s Place, where they host a micro-grant dinner focused on youth in and from care. Chosen youth will be offered dinner as well as the chance to pitch their ideas to a crowd of community members with the chance to receive funding to MORE
The purpose of the Youth Homeless Count was to employ a youth-specific methodology to determine the number of youth experiencing homelessness in Metro Vancouver and to create a demographic profile of those youth. The results found there are 681 youth experiencing homelessness, with 42% of youth identifying as Aboriginal or Indigenous. 11% MORE
Kelowna Daily Courier: B.C. budget committee hears plea for provincial funds for youth recovery house Columbia Valley Pioneer: B.C. advocacy groups aim for new federal autism funding Globe and Mail: B.C. cancer patient’s case exposes gaps in care for homeless people, advocates say The Tyee: Health Minister Reflects on BC’s ‘Big Challenge’: Fighting Poverty MORE