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
On July 15, 2019, Minister of Children and Family Development Katrine Conroy and Minister of State for Child Care Katrina Chen sent a letter to First Call to announce additional funding for the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund. The letter announces that based on feedback from communities throughout BC, they 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
In June, First Call sent in our submission to the Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth Special Project on Children and Youth with Neuro-Diverse Special Needs. We note appreciation for the Committee’s interest in the experiences of families raising children with neuro-diverse special needs in seeking assessments and access 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 March 31, 2019, First Call submitted a letter to Minister of Labour Harry Bains in response to his Ministry’s call for submissions to the Employment Standards Act – Consultation Paper. Specifically, the letter responds to Theme 1 – Increasing protection of child workers: For Input: What is your view on MORE
On March 15, 2019, First Call submitted a response to the BC Government’s call for feedback on the potential for a basic income approach to reducing poverty. While the First Call Coalition does not have an official position on a basic income, we believe all families should have enough income, MORE
Media Release For immediate release February 19, 2019 BC Budget 2019 Brings Financial Relief for Low-income Children, Youth and Their Families (Victoria, BC) First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition applauds the Provincial Government for significant improvements to the child tax benefit announced in today’s budget. The MORE
Today, First Call sent an open letter to the Honourable Harry Bains, Minister of Labour, calling on him to table legislation at the next sitting of B.C.’s Legislative Assembly aimed at protecting children and youth from employment-related injury and exploitation. In British Columbia, children as young as 12 years old can 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 October 31, 2017, explaining MORE
On Wednesday November 21, we emailed a letter to all BC Members of Parliament with a copy of our 2018 BC Child Poverty Report Card. In the letter, we note that “We are encouraged by the federal government’s tabling of Bill C-87, an Act respecting the reduction of poverty, which MORE
On Wednesday November 21, we emailed a letter to all BC Members of the Legislative Assembly with a copy of our 2018 BC Child Poverty Report Card. In the letter, we note “We are disappointed to report that 20.3% (1 in 5) of BC’s children were living in poverty, using MORE
On November 2, 2018, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson wrote First Call a letter to update about the processes, targets, and next steps toward the poverty reduction initiative in BC. He explained the process of consultation, including engaging 8,500 people, hosting 28 facilitated meetings, and appointing MORE
First Call submitted our BC Budget 2019 consultation on October 15, 2018. Our submission raises concerns and makes recommendations affecting children youth and families in BC that have been raised by our research and our member organizations regarding various themes. We highlight four recommendations: Enhancing and expanding BC’s child benefit to reduce MORE