The B.C. Government is developing new laws, standards, and policies to better support people with disabilities to live with dignity and to meaningfully participate in their communities. Accessibility legislation would guide government, persons with disabilities and the broader community to work together to identify, remove and prevent barriers. There are many ways MORE
McCreary Centre Society’s Youth Research Academy is conducting a study on youth transitioning out of care in BC. If you are an 18-year-old in care, or an alternative to government care (e.g. Youth Agreement), and would like to take the anonymous and confidential survey, click here. If you work with MORE
Last week, the Supreme Court of British Columbia decided that the BC Ministry of Attorney General must disclose certain records relating to the funding of legal counsel for children to the Representative for Children and Youth for British Columbia. The files were originally requested in October 2018 to assist in the MORE
Since it was introduced in 2017, more than 1,100 former youth in care have now participated in the Province’s Tuition Waiver Program which supports B.C. students who are former youth in care who are attending either full-time or part-time studies at a B.C. public post-secondary institution, Native Education College or one of MORE
Last week, over 50 youth in and from foster care descended upon the BC Parliament for the third year in a row. Policy Solutions Day brings together passionate youth to learn about advocacy, meet directly with decision-makers, and share stories about their experiences in care and their transitions out of MORE
The Parent Support Services of BC (PSS) is currently undergoing a research project that they hope will directly inform social policy and practice changes and legal reform for kinship caregivers. PSS is hosting focus groups for folks aged 19+ who were raised by their grandparents or relative. They are also hosting focus groups for grandparents raising MORE
Are you a young person in or from care or an agency that supports youth in and from care who is looking at bringing people together this holiday season? For the eighth consecutive year, the Fed is offering Holiday Dinner Grants for those looking to create community and celebrate youth in and MORE
McCreary Centre Society’s Youth Research Academy is conducting a longitudinal study to gain a better understanding of how to best support youth transitioning out of government care. They are looking to recruit youth who are currently in government care, or an alternative, and are approaching their 19th birthday (i.e. within a MORE
BC’s Representative for Children and Youth, Jennifer Charlesworth, has issued a statement expressing her extreme disappointment with the federal government’s decision to appeal the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling that ordered compensation for First Nations children and families affected by Canada’s discriminatory on-reserve child welfare system. Read the full statement here.
This week, West Coast Leaf released Pathways in a Forest: Indigenous guidance on prevention-based child welfare. The report highlights efforts by Indigenous families, communities, and Nations to revitalize Indigenous approaches to child welfare, develop comprehensive community-based supports, and fight for self-determination. It centres the voices of 64 caregivers who share their MORE
Canadian Human Rights Tribunal recently issued an important compensation ruling for First Nations children and families. The Tribunal found that Canada willfully and recklessly discriminated against First Nations children. In this ruling, they ordered Canada to pay the maximum amount allowable under the Canadian Human Rights Act to compensate First Nations children, MORE
The Canada Post Awards for Indigenous Students celebrate the hard work and determination of Indigenous peoples who have embraced a renewed pursuit of learning. Applications for the $2,000 awards are open to all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples who have been out of school for at least one year, who have since decided to return MORE
The Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks are now accepting registrations for their upcoming retreat on October 25-29, 2019 at Zajac Ranch. Their retreats bring together youth in and from care from all across the province to learn life skills, have fun, build lasting friendships, direct the work of the organization, MORE
Power Pages is a provincial magazine connecting youth in and from care, service providers, and caregivers across BC. The Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks is currently accepting stories, poems, interviews, photos and artwork submitted by young people. The successful applicants will receive an honourarium of up to $50. MORE
The Youth Futures Education Fund provides living expenses to youth who have aged out of the foster care system and are attending a post-secondary institution on a tuition waiver. The grant assists with supplemental educational funding for expenses such as books, housing, utilities, or emergency situations. Recently the fund made news MORE