At the end of June, First Call submitted our recommendations to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services as they consider spending priorities in the next provincial budget. This year, in the midst of uncertainty about how COVID-19 has (and will continue to) affect BC’s children, youth and MORE
In early May, First Call added our voice to the call for the federal government to work closely with provincial and territorial governments, health institutions, and public health leaders to ensure and support access to healthcare for all people living in Canada, including those currently living in detention, regardless of 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
On April 12, Minister Conroy responded to Fostering Change Community Organizers and announced a number of measures to support and protect youth who would have aged out of care during the COVID19 pandemic. In addition, the Minister announced other measures to support youth who had already aged out of government MORE
On March 10, 2020, First Call submitted comments to the City of Vancouver in favour of the motion, “Taking Steps Toward a National Cost-Shared Universal Healthy School Food Program.” Here is the comment that we submitted: First Call: BC Child and Youth Advocacy urges Council to support this important motion MORE
On February 14, 2020, First Call sent a letter to Minister of State for Child Care, Honourable Katrina Chen. In the letter, we explain it was good to be able to openly discuss why this capital funding program is not working in the best interest of children and those who care MORE
On December 18, 2019, Honourable Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, wrote a letter to Fostering Change Community Organizers and adult allies. In the letter, she references Policy Solutions Day 2019 and thanks organizers for their determination to make BC’s child welfare system more comprehensive and universal. MORE
First Call sent letters to federal party leaders this week to echo the Coalition for Healthy School Food’s calls for a universal, healthy school food program for Canada. The letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asks that the government include the development of a national school food program in the MORE
In November 2019, First Call responded to the Ministry of Labour’s call for submissions on child employment standards regulation. We’re optimistic that new legislation and the accompanying regulations will better protect children from accidents, injury and exploitation while working in BC. We appreciate the Ministry has received many submissions, including MORE
Last summer, the BC Human Rights Tribunal contacted First Call seeking feedback on recommendations in the report The Working Group on Strengthening Tribunal Processes for Representative Complaints. Specifically, the Tribunal sought input on recommendations with regard to representative complaints brought on behalf of children and on building a child-centred approach MORE
On September 20, 2019 First Call sent a letter to the Minister of Children and Family Development, Katrine Conroy, and the Minister of State for Child Care, Katrina Chen. The letter was sent to reinforce a long-standing message of concern from our members about the province’s child care capital funding MORE
On August 21, 2019, Minister of Children and Family Development (MCFD) Katrine Conroy responded to our July 18, 2019 letter from the Fostering Change campaign. The letter from Minister Conroy outlines their engagement process over the past year to understand the current state of youth transitions and to identify areas MORE
On July 18, 2019, the Fostering Change campaign sent a letter to Minister of Children and Family Development, Katrine Conroy. The letter explains that the current AYA program policy is not very flexible and is failing to provide equitable access to supports for young people from care. We recently heard 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
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