Today, First Call and Basics for Health Society sent a letter to the BC government urging a coordinated response to children’s health during this COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates, physicians, researchers and health care professionals have come together to voice their alarm about the harmful impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, MORE
Today, First Call’s Early Childhood Development Roundtable (ECDRT) wrote to Ministers Chen and Conroy to share concerns expressed by the forty-three people from around the province who participated in our March 25th meeting. Many issues raised were related to the fragility of providers of early child development services and the MORE
Welcome to our monthly update about First Call’s advocacy work and key developments in child and youth policy in BC. Highlights this month include: Fostering Change Campaigners Take Their Voices to Victoria First Call Joins the Coalition for Healthy School Food Kids Can’t Wait Summit II Living Wage for Families MORE
On July 16 2019, Minister of Children and Family Development Katrine Conroy and Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen responded to our May 27, 2019 letter that reinforced the call for a more urgent focus on the issue of fair compensation for Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) in government’s MORE
In this year’s BC budget submission, First Call highlights five recommendations from our 2018 Child Poverty Report Card starting with important targeted poverty reduction measures for families living in deep poverty. Key Recommendations 1. Increase income supports for families living in deep poverty 2. Invest in early childhood 3. Ensure MORE
On May 27 2019, First Call sent a letter to Minister of Children and Family Development, Honourable Katrine Conroy, and Minister of State for Child Care, Honourable Katrina Chen. We wrote on behalf of First Call’s Early Childhood Development Roundtable to reinforce the call for a more urgent focus on MORE
On October 16, 2018, First Call sent a letter to Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen on behalf of the Early Childhood Development Roundtable. The roundtable has been discussing concerns arising from the experiences of families who have children with special needs about the fees they are being MORE
On November 2 2017, First Call sent Minister Dix a letter asking for more details about this change from his ministry, and for the minimum outdoor play space per child to be increased. Sue Bedford, Director of Community Care Facility Licensing and Assisted Living Registry, responded on Minister Dix’s behalf on MORE
Welcome to our monthly update about First Call’s advocacy work and key developments in child and youth policy in BC. Highlights this month include: First Call Submission to Federal Budget Tent Cities: Open Letter Calls For Public Health Approach To Reducing Health And Safety Risks Welcome Nadine Gagné-L’Hirondelle Living Wage MORE
Welcome to our monthly update about First Call’s advocacy work and key developments in child and youth policy in BC. Highlights this month include: First Call is Hiring a Living Wage for Families Campaign Organizer First Call Advocacy in June Living Wage Employers Event Welcome to New First Call Coalition MORE
In our 2017 child poverty report card, we made a recommendation to enhance BC’s current early childhood benefit to more effectively reach poor, children-supporting households. We know, from international data that, on average, social transfers in high-income countries reduce child poverty rates by about one third. Of the provinces offering a child benefit, BC MORE
February 2018 Highlights this month include: MCFD reps at upcoming First Call Coalition Meetings to discuss BC Budget Living Wage petition for Capilano University cleaners Update: Review of the Representative for Children and Youth Act New team members join First Call and Living Wage Campaign Don’t miss the award-winning Liyana MORE
Each year First Call publishes a BC Child Poverty Report Card, analyzing the latest federal and provincial data to accurately portray the extent of child and family poverty in our province. In 2017, using the most recent available data, we found that 153,300, or 1 in 5, BC children are MORE
Published November 21, 2017, in The Province By Adrienne Montani A generational opportunity to change the child-poverty story in B.C. is knocking. The provincial NDP government and the B.C. Green party have committed to work together to design and implement a province-wide poverty reduction strategy. The new cabinet includes a minister MORE
Media release: November 21, 2017 Looking for Action to Change BC’s Child Poverty Story Data in the 2017 BC Child Poverty Report Card, released today by First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, highlights the income inequality that leaves far too many British Columbia families struggling to cover basic MORE