Programs & Projects

Since 1982, we’ve been strengthening and supporting our members and BC’s community social services sector by networking, exchanging information, building skills, and consistently bringing a balanced perspective to discussions with provincial and national decision-makers.

Building the strong and sustainable community social services sector we want and need requires creating spaces for relationships between leaders to form. It requires new and different learning opportunities. It requires the development and sharing of research, news, and information as well as experience, wisdom, and story.

Our programs and projects connect the dots between ideas, research, and best practices. They support our members, inform policy change, and empower the next generation of community social services workers. They prioritize reconciliation and social justice. Our partners in these efforts include our members, governments, universities, other non-profits, and Indigenous, Métis, and First Nations organizations.

The Federation’s Youth Education Bursary assists young people that are or have been in care and want to pursue a career in the field of Human and Social Services. Bursaries support students with the financial costs of tuition, books, and supplies for post-secondary academic education. Since 2009, the bursary program has awarded $143,100 in bursaries to 127 recipients. Learn more about our Youth Education Bursary, eligibility criteria, and ways you can support the bursary here.

In 2011, The Federation, in partnership with the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), conducted a comprehensive 2-year review of the residential care services available to children and youth in BC. The final report offered 32 recommendations for improving residential care practices in BC. Learn more about our Residential Redesign Project and read the Final Report here. Advocacy and engagement related to residential care for youth is ongoing under the banner of Specialized Homes and Support Services.

We believe that strong and sustainable community social services must have access to high quality and affordable insurance products. As such, our member agencies have access to a suite of high quality, comprehensive insurance programs at a reasonable cost. Our insurance providers, FABP and HUB Insurance, can also tailor coverage to specific agency and employee needs. Learn more about our insurance products here.

The Community Social Services Training Fund is an initiative coordinated by The Federation, funded by the provincial government, that disburses grant funding to organizations delivering community-based social services for training, certification, and professional development. Organizations can apply for funding for staff education/certification, organizational training opportunities, and/or subsidized workshop series.

Transformative Reconciliation is a intensive learning program for Federation members and community partners who want to deepen their learning and apply reconciliation-based approaches to their organizations and programs—to engage in transformative reconciliation through collaborative learning, design, and practice. The year-long program has been designed to be action-oriented and tailor for participants from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations.

The Federation’s Reconciliation Book Club was designed to create an accessible space for staff in member organizations to increase their knowledge of issues related to reconciliation. Book Club members meet every other month to discuss a new book and engage in questions and conversations facilitated by Federation staff. You can check out the list of past and upcoming titles and sign up to become a member of the book club here.

The Award for Excellence recognizes the exceptional contributions of an individual, team, or organization in the field of child, family, or community social services. Recipients may be recognized for their outstanding qualities and devotion to the field over a long period of time and/or for their significant and lasting contribution to the field based on work undertaken in a project of a short-term nature. See past recipients and learn more here.

The Applied Promising Practices (APP) initiative reflects The Federation’s commitment to the constant improvement of community social services in BC. The APP initiative supports the identification, implementation, and evaluation of promising practices by combining the latest academic research with practice-based evidence. Learn more about this initiative and how we empower our members to support their communities.

The Research to Practice Network is a collection of academics and researchers committed to translating the latest research and making it available and applicable for front-line staff. Research to Practice members collaborate with The Federation and help provide the latest information, insight, and relevant research for practitioners serving children and families. Read the latest Research to Practice articles and learn more about the network.