Today, First Call submitted recommendations to the Ministry of Labour and The Law Institute of B.C. calling for better government protection for children who are working. First Call’s recommendations provide a framework for the B.C. government to develop employment standards consistent with Canada’s commitment to establish 16 as the age MORE
Today in Ottawa, advocates released an open letter urging the Prime Minister to make good on his commitment to the right to housing by enshrining that right in upcoming National Housing Strategy legislation. The letter has been signed by over 150 organizations and prominent Canadians, including First Call. It was 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
John Kennedy The past few years have brought much greater public awareness of what youth in foster care face at 19 as they age out of the system, and what adequate funding and community support can do to prevent sudden homelessness—or worse—at that critical life transition. A growing body of MORE
Adrienne Montani Most people are probably aware that immigrant and refugee families are over-represented in poverty statistics. 2011 data from the National Household Survey shows immigrants with less than five years in Canada have a one in three chance of being poor, much higher than the overall poverty rate. The MORE
April 26, 2017 (Vancouver) The wage needed to cover the costs of raising a family in Metro Vancouver is virtually unchanged in the past year, however, child care and housing costs are major challenges for many families, a report released today finds. The living wage is the calculation of the MORE
Published April 26, 2017 in the Province by Deanna Ogle On Wednesday, [April 26, 2017] 11 B.C. communities released their living wage rates, the hourly amount that two working parents with two young children must earn to cover basic expenses. As expected, Metro Vancouver has the highest living wage rate MORE
March 2017 What’s the purpose of digging a hole and then re-filling it halfway or even all the way 15 years later? Child and youth services providers and families are asking this question as they review the “new” dollars for child-serving ministries in the 2017 BC budget. Over the last MORE
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
Published November 24, 2016, in the Province The most recent statistics from Statistics Canada show that one in five B.C. children are still poor, writes Adrienne Montani. In 2002, 100 per cent of child support payments received by mothers on income assistance were suddenly deducted from their income, thanks to MORE
CBC Early Edition: Margot Young on child poverty statistics (starts at 2:11:20) Williams Lake Tribune: LETTERS: High child poverty rate in Williams Lake a sign of wealth inequality Northern View: Prince Rupert second-worst in B.C. for child poverty Times Colonist: Trevor Hancock: Governments fail to provide necessaries of life CBC MORE
Media Release: November 24, 2016 Where’s the Accountability for Children Growing Up in Poverty in BC? Data in the 2016 BC Child Poverty Report Card, released today by First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition, highlights how growing income inequality among BC families has one in five of our children MORE
October 1, 2016 Vancouver Sun by Adrienne Montani, Trish Garner and Joey Hartman Vancouver city council’s vote to become a living-wage employer is good news. It recognizes the principle that full-time work should provide families with basic economic security. It’s the amount needed for a family of four with two MORE
Times Colonist: Trevor Hancock: Poverty serious detriment to public health Vancouver Sun: Opinion: B.C.’s child labour laws make Canada look bad Chilliwack Progress: Clawback of mat leave pay ‘discriminatory’ says Chilliwack woman Vancouver Sun: Living wage proponents look to spark national movement with pay increases News 1130: New Canada Child MORE