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📎 FCSSBC: Comprehensive June 2, 2024 Updates

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SOCIAL SERVICES NEWS

News, updates, and stories about social care in BC

Unveiling the latest developments in social services

June 28, 2024

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Table of contents

  • Poll results
  • Homelessness & housing
  • Reconciliation book club
  • Reconciliation
  • Training opportunities
  • Communities & families
  • Highlights
  • Children & youth
  • Career opportunities
  • Health & mental health
  • Good news

Poll results

Firstly, the Federation staff thank everyone who took the time to vote in our polls. We are committed to transparency and open communication, and your insights and feedback are of the utmost importance to us. The results are in, and 74.1 per cent of you voted for the “once” option. So, starting next week (July 1, 2024), we’ll begin sending the newsletter once a week on Thursdays. We thank you for your active participation and encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts. If you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to contact us by email at giovani@fcssbc.ca.

Homelessness & housing

Most cities trailing behind B.C. housing targets | CTV News

The province of British Columbia has set housing targets for several municipalities, but there is a pressing need for most to catch up on their goals. Some cities, such as Victoria and Port Moody, have shown significant progress, while others, including Delta, Oak Bay, and West Vancouver, are making less progress than expected. The province has announced new five-year housing targets for ten more municipalities and plans to hand out targets to 10 additional cities this summer.

Resources:

Reconciliation book club

Telling Truth: Seven Conversations about Indigenous Life in Canada

The Federation’s Reconciliation Book Club, designed to be inclusive and accessible for all staff in member organizations, is a key resource for increasing knowledge of reconciliation issues. Book Club members meet regularly to discuss a new book, and Federation staff ensure that the discussions are enriched with supplementary materials, including discussion questions, additional readings, and author and publisher information.

We invite you to join us for the next meeting of the Reconciliation Book Club on August 28, 2024. The book we will be discussing is “Telling Truth: Seven Conversations about Indigenous Life in Canada” by Michelle Good. Don’t miss this chance to be part of the discussion. Sign up for the book club here: https://fcssbc.ca/bookclub/

Reconciliation

Christi Belcourt commemorated through a stamp in her likeness | APTN News

On National Indigenous Peoples Day 2024, Canada Post honoured Métis artist Christi Belcourt by unveiling a stamp featuring her at the Wabano Centre Aboriginal Health in Ottawa. The event celebrated Belcourt’s contributions as an artist, activist, and environmentalist known for her floral paintings inspired by Métis beadwork. Belcourt’s stamp is part of a series recognizing Indigenous leaders. Belcourt emphasized the importance of community and advocacy through art. Her works are showcased across North America, and she has a significant presence in Ottawa with a stained-glass window in Parliament Hill. The event included deeply emotional tributes from friends and Elders, underscoring the profound impact Belcourt has had on those around her.

Related:

Training opportunities

Communities & families

Boosted BC Family Benefit cheques on the way to thousands more families | BC Gov News

The Government of British Columbia is increasing the BC Family Benefit payments in response to rising inflation-related living expenses. This increase will provide financial relief to low- and middle-income families, with about 340,000 families set to receive the benefit through monthly deposits or mailed cheques starting mid-July. The one-year bonus added to the BC Family Benefit payments will result in an average increase of $445 compared to last year. The Province is also taking additional actions to help residents cope with the cost of living, including providing a fourth ICBC rebate, keeping hydro rates low, and offering free prescription birth control and transit for kids. Furthermore, the BC Benefits Connector has been launched as a one-stop online resource to help people access government benefits and programs. It’s important to note that the Province will not contact people by text message regarding tax credits.

Related:

Highlights

Province-wide Community-to-Community Forum | Union of BC Municipalities

UBCM and First Nations Leadership Council are co-hosting a Province-wide Community-to-Community Forum on September 16, 2024, at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, 900 Canada Place Way, Vancouver. First Nation and local government leaders and senior staff are invited to gather for a day of dialogue focusing on building relations, advancing reconciliation, and exploring ways to work together. This important event will foster collaboration and deepen understanding toward a more inclusive future for all communities across BC.

Related:

Children & youth

YouthSpeak 2023 | Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks

A report card on the wellbeing of youth in care in BC. For service providers and decision-makers, YouthSpeaks is an opportunity to listen to young people in and from government care and make informed decisions by acting on their ideas and insight. For young people, YouthSpeaks provides a space to speak out and share about their experiences in care. As both an engagement opportunity and a data collection method, YouthSpeaks show young people that their experiences, opinions, and ideas matter, and that their voice is powerful.

Related:

Career opportunities

The Federation actively works to help our members recruit and retain skilled staff. Click here to check the current opportunities.

Health & mental health

BC NDP touts 30-point plan to expand health-care services in Surrey | Global News

The BC NDP government has announced a 30-point plan to expand health-care services in Surrey before the provincial election. Health Minister Adrian Dix provided updates on the progress, including adding new positions at Surrey Memorial Hospital and completing 14 out of the 30 planned actions. The initiatives aimed to meet the residents’ health-care needs and address the rapid growth of Surrey, a key area in the upcoming election. Additionally, the government plans to add more prefabricated classroom spaces to address the increasing demand for education in the city.

Related:

Good news

If you have any feel-good, weird, fascinating or amusing stories you’d like to see included in this section, send them our way to giovani@fcssbc.ca!

Note

The articles in Federation newsletters are for informational purposes and do not relate to the Federation’s advocacy work. We want our membership to stay informed of news relevant to our sector; the inclusion of a story is not an endorsement.

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