November 2014 Government inaction leaves one fifth of BC’s children poor First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition with the support of SPARC BC produces an annual report card with the latest statistics on child and family poverty in British Columbia. This is done in conjunction with the release MORE
September 2014 First Call submitted this written brief to the BC Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. (Each fall, the Select Standing Committee holds province-wide public consultations on the next provincial budget, then drafts recommendations based on the input given.) The brief was framed in child-rights language, with MORE
November 2013 Action on child and family poverty long overdue The latest figures from Statistics Canada (2011) once again show that BC is the worst province in Canada when it comes to major measures of child poverty: BC had a child poverty rate of 18.6% – the worst rate of MORE
September 2013 First Call submitted this written brief to the BC Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. (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.) First Call’s recommendations call for a MORE
October 2012 In October 2012 First Call made a presentation and written submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services regarding the 2013 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 MORE
August 2012 This submission was First Call’s response to the federal Standing Committee on Finance’s online questionnaire regarding the 2013 federal budget. The questionnaire was narrowly focused on economic recovery/growth and job creation/productivity, among other challenges.
September 2011 These are First Call Provincial Coordinator Adrienne Montani’s 2011 speaking notes from her presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services regarding the 2012 provincial budget. (Each fall, the Select Standing Committee holds province-wide public consultations on the next provincial budget, then drafts recommendations for MORE
August 2011 First Call submitted three recommendations to the federal Standing Committee on Finance during pre-budget consultations on the 2012 federal budget: Place a high priority on increasing Canada’s annual investments in early childhood care and learning, from the current 0.25% of GDP to the recommended UNICEF benchmark of 1% MORE
Published in the Vancouver Sun May 16, 2011 by Adrienne Montani and Seth Klein Dear Premier Clark, Congratulations on your new job. It’s wonderful that your new government will be “putting families first.” And we were heartened to hear you say on the night of your election victory that fighting MORE
March 2011 First Call applauds Premier-Designate Christy Clark’s commitment to policies that support families and hopes that the first items on her child poverty agenda – eliminating the training wage, raising the minimum wage and increasing the Working Income Tax Benefit – can be done quickly. We also offer recommendations MORE
September 2008 By Tim Richards, Marcy Cohen, Seth Klein and Deborah Littman Working for a Living Wage is the original full report co-published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition and the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria. Focused on Greater Vancouver MORE