Conference reflections and next steps for The Federation
The Federation’s June Conference and AGM in Penticton took steps down two important paths. On one hand, we endeavoured to create a space grounded in understanding as we imagined new ways of working and considered different paths toward reconciliation. We also wanted to update members on the Federation’s priorities and provide first-hand insight into the initial phase of MCFD’s Multi-Year Action Plan.
I want to sincerely thank all of those who attended and took part in the conference sessions as well as The Federation’s Annual General Meeting. Many different and important conversations took place, new connections were made, and important learning was shared. There was a rich discussion during the AGM and some new member engagement commitments were made which we will be following up on very quickly. More information and next steps will be shared with members over the coming weeks.
I was thankful for the presence of the Indigenous leaders who took the time to share their stories with us and was honoured by the wisdom and graciousness of the community leaders who shared their experiences and insight. I know many of you left with new ideas to take back to their communities.
I was also grateful that we were able to bring Carolyn Kamper from MCFD to speak with Federation members about her portfolio and her commitment to community engagement in MCFD’s Multi-Year Action Plan (MYAP). You can view (or review) Carolyn’s presentation here.
The Federation has been working closely with Carolyn and her team around ways that the Ministry can better engage with the community sector on the elements of the MYAP that are particularly relevant and important to us—residential care, permanency, and mental health supports.
The Federation is continuing to host meetings with MCFD Executive Directors of Service from across the province so that we—and you, our members—can better understand the initial phases of the MYAP in each of MCFD’s Service Delivery Areas. We will be following up with members after each SDA meeting takes place.
If you have any feedback about the conference or the AGM, you can complete an online evaluation here.
If you want updated information about the MYAP-focused Regional Meetings in your SDA, please contact The Federation office.
Welcome your new board members
The AGM also saw board elections take place and The Federation has some new faces on our board of directors. You can view the all of your board members and their bios on The Federation website.
We would like to extend a very special thanks to outgoing board members Ingrid Kastens and Sylvia Ceacero for their hard work over the past years. We would also like to acknowledge Deborah Joyce who ended her second term as Secretary-Treasurer and thank her for her diligence and her ongoing commitment to The Federation.
