CYSN and The Federation…

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How we got here…

Last year, MCFD announced significant changes to the system of care for children and youth with support needs (CYSN). Consultations for this process began back in 2019, albeit without a lot of clarity about how the harvest from the consultations would be used and before the upheaval and tragedy of the pandemic—which came with many new lessons about just how isolated many young children with support needs are.

In the spring of 2022, MCFD released its service framework and the service expectations and descriptions for the new family connection centres. But many felt that there was not adequate consultation on the new model itself. In the leadup to the release, The Federation joined other community groups in advocating for more consultation, a slower roll-out, and a revised procurement approach.

This advocacy work led to The Federation coming together with the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, the BC Association of Child Development and Intervention, and Inclusion BC to facilitate and prioritize collaborative community engagement—an approach we continue to focus on.

Where we are…

We understand and appreciate that some families are still worried about losing access to supports for their children which took a lot of time and energy to access. Everything that can be done to alleviate those very real worries should be done by MCFD. No family should lose the connections they have made or supports they have established because of these changes.

Decision makers in the government—both bureaucrats and politicians—have heard and will continue to be briefed on our concerns about how these changes are being made. We are advocating consistently and deliberately about the funding formula for family centres, the procurement model, the lack of engagement, and the timeline of this systems change.

The existing system of care for children and youth with support needs is fundamentally broken. It needs to change. We are in support of CYSN systems change that will make services easier for families to navigate, that will reduce barriers to accessing service (particularly for Indigenous children), and that will build community connections that will increase inclusion and belonging for kids with support needs. That is what we at The Federation are expecting and working toward. If we need to pivot and change our approach or strategy in the months ahead, we will do so. But our goal will always be a system of care that best serves and supports all of our kids and their families.

And we cannot build a more equitable system of care while keeping the parts that contribute to that inequity. That won’t lead to a better system, just a different version of the same thing. That’s why things like sunsetting the individualized funding model are important—they are a step towards creating a more just and caring system.

Where we’re going…

Our strategy now and moving forward is to continue prioritizing and focusing on the collaborative community development approach that has been established with our partners at the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, the BC Association of Child Development and Intervention, and Inclusion BC. This approach supports community collaboration in response to the upcoming procurement process for the Family Centres.

There is a joint members meeting of this group on September 26 and all Federation members are welcome. Please email rebecca@fcssbc.ca for the registration link. This meeting will provide clarity about what this collaborative project is (and isn’t) and what our goals are for the work ahead.

As always, please contact either of us if you have any questions or concerns about this or any of The Federation’s ongoing advocacy and engagement efforts.

Rick FitzZaland, Executive Director
rick@fcssbc.ca

Rebecca Lang, Associate Executive Director
rebecca@fcssbc.ca

Popeing Ain’t Easy…

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Last year when the first unmarked graves in Kamloops were located, it became a flash point for Indigenous people, allies, and activists who had always known that these children were on the grounds of the former residential schools. Still, horrific memories surfaced for survivors and their families and communities.

What became very interesting—and what I am still thinking through—is the desire that emerged for the Pope of the Catholic Church to apologize for the abuse perpetrated against Indigenous children and families through the residential school system. A delegation of Indigenous people even travelled to the Vatican in the Spring of 2022 to demand such an apology from the head of the church. It was a unique and monumental event but no one went with any expectations other than to speak their truth. The request was simple: come to our communities and speak to and in front of the people that were harmed by the institution created and run by the church.

Later in 2022, when it was announced that the Pope would be coming to Canada, many people were excited about the possibilities—what he might say, where he might go. But there were also people who were skeptical and reluctant, people who had concerns about what histories and memories might be brought up and how genuine the forthcoming apology would be. Would this visit do more harm than good?

Many Indigenous folks still have resentment and anger about the residential school system and the atrocities that they experienced. Would a visit from the pope do anything? Could an apology be a start to healing? Would an apology on its own be enough?

As I watched the events and news coverage during the week that the Pope was in Canada, it became very clear very quickly that he was not going to speak about the sexual abuse at the residential schools or make any statements or promises about moving forward with the Indigenous people in Canada. He did apologize, but only for the “individuals” who did wrong; the apology was worded in a way that abstained from admitting the church’s culpability.

Maybe this is naive but I, for one, was surprised that he did not say more about the schools—condemning them, admitting they were a mistake or that harm was done in institutions funded and run by the church for decades. I was surprised that he didn’t mention the Doctrine of Discovery, a concept of colonial law that justified and legitimized the colonization and evangelization issued by Pope Nicholas V in 1452.

The idea that Christian European monarchies like England and France and Spain could claim land that did not belong to them, paved the way for the residential school system policies such as the Indian Act.

The pope’s visit and apology were hailed as “historic” in the press. But another story that didn’t get much press during the pope’s visit has to do with the fact that the Catholic Church has promised residential school survivors over $79 million but only put $4.6 million into the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund to date. (And while we’re talking about promising things without following through, our federal government spent $35 million of taxpayer money on the pope’s visit even though there is still unsafe drinking water in 94 First Nations communities, despite the government’s to end all long-term drinking water advisories by 2020).

As Dr. Dustin Louie teaches in The Federation’s Transformative Reconciliation program, reconciliation is not just about apologizing for past harm. It is about creating new and equitable relationships; it is about changing the conditions in which we are living and existing with one another.

The apology from the pope meant something to many people. I don’t want to take away from that. But promises are still getting broken, Indigenous people in Canada are still getting neglected, and the legacy of residential schools is still destroying families and communities. How genuine do you think that apology was when the thoughts, beliefs and systems that oppress and neglect Indigenous people still exist?

What would truly be historic is if the Catholic Church rescinded the Doctrine of Discovery. Or fully financed its Indigenous Reconciliation Fund as promised (which it can absolutely afford to do). Or adopted the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action directed at the Catholic Church (numbers 58–61, which are also directed at other faith groups and spiritual leaders).

For me, a good, genuine apology doesn’t just admit a mistake, it admits the impact of the harm or error and lays out how the situation will be made right. A good apology is not an end, it is a beginning. It doesn’t close the book on a mistake, it opens the lines of communication and creates space for communication, understanding, and accountability.

I hope the next generation of Indigenous people gets that kind of apology.

Riley McKenzie, Indigenous Advisor
riley@fcssbc.ca

Budget 2023 Consultation Report

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Recommendations for next year’s provincial budget

Each year, The Federation makes a submission and presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services—the committee that makes recommendations to the Legislative Assembly for the next provincial budget.

Last month, the committee released its Report on the Budget 2023 Consultations. While there are not a great number of recommendations in the social services section (see page 93), the report includes Federation’s recommendations regarding funding inequity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous agencies and our recommendation regarding stable funding for community social services (which includes administrative and compensation funding).

It also addresses some significant issues that The Federation and our members have long been advocating for are included: increased supports for children in care; increased access to support for children and youth with support needs; increased funding and support for seniors centers; a review of policy and administration of income and disability assistance; more stable funding for social services.

Among others, the committee recommended that the provincial government:

  • Increase access to long-term counselling for children and youth who experience all types of abuse-induced trauma. (#143)
  • Develop targeted measured outcomes in mental health; and a plan to improve mental health and address addictions, the plan can include education to increase awareness, reduce barriers and stigma while also increasing access to counselling and treatment. (#144)
  • Identify and fund programming for identity-based counselling and mental health support services that are intersectional, culturally safe and LGBTQ2SAI+ focused. (#145)
  • Improve and increase supports for children and youth in care, including by facilitating the jurisdictional transition of child welfare to Indigenous communities, and improving supports to kinship caregivers. (#199)
  • Ensure any changes to services for children and youth with support needs are fully funded to provide appropriate resources and eliminate waitlists. (#200)
  • Provide increased, predictable, multi-year funding to the community social services sector, including administrative funding and supports to address compensation challenges. (#202)
  • Expand social service delivery and the continuum of care to improve response to mental health, addictions, and other complex social issues. (#203)
“The Committee heard about retention challenges in this sector as well as concerns about pay equity, and noted that many organizations shared that there is a lack of funding for the administrative aspects of their work. Members agreed that community organizations that provide social services are spending far too much time and resources applying for funding and grants, time which could be better spent fulfilling their respective mandates; they agreed that streamlining application processes would alleviate strain. They also acknowledged that many programs and organizations provide frontline services on behalf of the province and are underfunded and could be doing more with additional funding, including preventative work.”  – Report on the Budget 2023 Consultation

Another thing that stands out to me is the number of recommendations outside of the social services section of the report that are essentially social care measures. These include things like schools contributing to food security, improving transportation to rural, remote, and Indigenous communities, the importance of non-police community interventions in mental health crises, and the need to review dental coverage for people receiving Persons with Disabilities support.

This is a good report that makes me hopeful for next year’s provincial budget. Especially since this is an all-party committee that is required to submit a report that has unanimous support from all committee members. That is an important piece to consider when you read the report’s contents—there are many recommendations that would not have been included in previous all-party reports. You can read the full report and all of the recommendations for next year’s budget here.

I would like to acknowledge the 9 Federation members who took the time to make presentations to the committee during the consultation period. Combined with the many submissions by our sector partners, BC’s community social services sector was well represented and some key social care issues were put front and center.

If you have any questions about the report or our engagement with the government or the issues The Federation is working to address on your behalf, please reach out. We are always available.

 

Rick FitzZaland, Executive Director
rick@fcssbc.ca

9/8/2022: Member Support and Information Recap

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Member Discussion

A member asked if anyone new approaches or changes to COVID protocol or vaccination status.

  • Member shared COVID provision incorporated into communicable disease policy
  • Member shared they interpret “fully vaccinated” as two shots.
  • Multiple members shared that masks are optional, based on comfort
  • A member shared health authorities have their own protocols that health-funded programs must follow.
  • If members are interested in PHO joining MSIE meeting to answer questions in October, please tell catherine@fcssbc.ca.

A member brought up the potential BCGEU settlement.

  • Member brought up that the potential settlement will have a significant impact on wage compression (will recognize peoples’ work but will also compress wages further).
  • Member shared that they compensate their non-union staff with similar benefits, but not similar wages.
  • Member shared that recruiting Managers is difficult because of compression.
  • Federation staff reminded members that a Compensation Framework is a priority of the Social Services Sector Roundtable and work continues to be done to address union/non-union discrepancies and compression.

Federation Updates

Transformative Reconciliation

Cohort 3 of our Transformative Reconciliation program is now accepting applications until mid-October. Start-date is Oct. 26, 2022. This is a year-long program, led by Dr. Dustin Louie. This program has been designed for senior leaders at community social services agencies. The program involves monthly learning sessions, witnessing sessions and each organization is supported to create and execute a decolonizing project for their own organization. For further info, contact catherine@fcssbc.ca.

Cultural Safety: It’s Not What You Think

This three-day program on Cultural Safety is facilitated by our Indigenous Advisor, Riley McKenzie. Cohorts are running now until early December 2022. For further info, contact kathy@fcssbc.ca.

Research Project: Admin Funding

One of the frequent topics of member discussion over the years is the challenges community organizations face with an outdated model for funding administration. This has long been an area of advocacy for The Fed and was a focus of our presentation to Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services this year. We have raised the issue with countless politicians and senior bureaucrats We are trying a new approach and are working with the Community Social Planning Council on a research project that aims to bring the impacts of the admin funding model to light within the context of what other models are possible. We are excited to be launching this work over the fall and will be inviting member organizations to participate in some focus groups in October. We know this is an area many of you are passionate about, and that many of you have stories that really demonstrate why the approach to funding administrative costs needs to change. For further info, contact rebecca@fcssbc.ca.

Ministry of Health

Michelle Bell is creating a survey for members, similar to the MCFD survey she sent out in late Spring, but with a focus on the Ministry of Health. Michelle is gathering info on what is working and what isn’t within Health contract and services. Reach out to Michelle to discuss further: michelle@fcssbc.ca.