Published February 11, 2017, in the Vancouver Sun by Adrienne Montani, Faith Bodnar, Sherry Sinclair and Sharon Gregson As families across British Columbians celebrate the 5th annual B.C. Family Day, it’s a welcome opportunity to spend extra time together, have some fun and celebrate all the wonderful reasons our families are important MORE
December 2016 In response to First Call’s letter, Minister of Health Terry Lake explains the results of a teleconference regarding the issue of providing immediate health care coverage to Canadian infants born to parents whose immigration status is uncertain. “The Ministry has committed to ensuring Canadian born children who meet MORE
October 2016 First Call made a written submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services regarding the 2017 provincial budget. (Each fall, the Select Standing Committee holds province-wide public consultations on the next provincial budget, then drafts recommendations for the budget based on the input given.) We MORE
October 12, 2016 Honourable Terry Lake Minister of Health PO Box 9050 Stn Prov Govt Victoria, BC V8W 9E2 Dear Minister Lake, Re: MSP enrollment for infants whose parents have precarious immigration status I am writing to you on behalf of First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition MORE
In response to First Call’s introductory letter of April 2016, Minister of Health Jane Philpott writes that the “Government of Canada is committed to promoting and protecting child and youth health and well-being through continued investments in programs and initiatives.” The minister confirmed the government is moving forward on commitments to MORE
BC’s child labour law must go – No clawbacks attached to CCB – First Call podcasts coming this fall – and more! Welcome to our monthly update on First Call’s advocacy work and key developments in child and youth policy in BC. Highlights this month include: Canada Child Benefit arrives, no MORE
April 2016 This letter from the First Call Coalition congratulated all Members of Parliament and relevant Ministers (re)elected in the 2015 federal election and invited them to learn more about First Call’s vision and work. It also commends them on the actions they have already taken in their first few months of MORE
In the lead-up to the federal election, First Call developed an election toolkit outlining what is at stake for BC’s children and youth at the federal level under each of the 4 Keys to Success for Children and Youth. In this new report we’ve tracked the progress made on our policy recommendations based on announcements MORE
March, 2016 Welcome to our monthly update about First Call’s advocacy work and key actions you can take to support children and youth in BC. Highlights this month include: We reviewed the federal budget for highlights and misses for BC’s children and youth We heard back from MSDSI Minister Stilwell MORE
January 7, 2016 Via email Dear Minister Lake, We understand that Canada’s provincial and territorial health ministers are meeting with federal Minister of Health Jane Philpott on January 20 and 21 in Vancouver with an objective to negotiate a new national health accord. We hope you will include in your MORE
September 2015 First Call made a presentation and written submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services regarding the 2016 provincial budget. (Each fall, the Select Standing Committee holds province-wide public consultations on the next provincial budget, then drafts recommendations for the budget based on the input given.) MORE
March 3, 2015 Vancouver, BC – First Call has announced the affiliation of a new campaign focused on ending physical punishment of children. Called Corinne’s Quest in honour of Corinne Robertshaw, a lawyer who dedicated the latter part of her life to this issue, the organization’s mission is “to promote MORE
November 25, 2014 Health Officer P.R.W. Kendall confirmed BC government’s support of “prudent avoidance of cellphone usage by children” (as recommended by Health Canada), limited screen time exposure for children (as recommended by pediatric societies) and limited exposure to video games.
September 2014 With several significant resolutions regarding the rights and well-being of children and youth coming forward at the 2014 Union of BC Municipalities convention, this open letter to BC’s mayors and councils urged resource support for sexually exploited children and youth, trades and technology skills training and a $10/day MORE
September 2014 This letter to BC school board trustees noted that, as of September 2014, First Call has partnered with the BC Safer Schools Coalition to support school board policies that: Explicitly protect students, staff and families from harassment based on all forms of oppression, including homophobia and transphobia Encourage MORE