Building Strong & Sustainable Community Social Services

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Last February, the 2018 Social Policy Forum identified and focused on four of the key factors affecting the sustainability and capacity of British Columbia’s community social services sector: Inclusive and culturally safe workplaces Attraction and retention Supervision and training A coordinated sy ...Read More

Early Years Community Consultations

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From January to March, MCFD, ECL Early Childhood Consulting, and The Federation of Community Social Services of BC are teaming up to host brand-new training and dialogue sessions for early years providers across BC. We’ll be coming to locations across the province (see below for a full list of dates and communities) ...Read More

Report on the 2019 Budget Consultations & Social Services Investments

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Last fall, the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services held public consultations on the upcoming provincial budget. This process happens every year—and every year The Federation presents to the committee and provides input on what we believe should be the prioritie ...Read More

Legalization of Cannabis: Implications, Resources, and Research for Federation Members

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At the October Conference, we hosted an Open Space session focused on concerns about the legalization of cannabis. Members hosted sessions focused on HR implications, practice implications, the history of how Canada got to this place, and what the future might look like. Following that session, The Federation commi ...Read More

Charities and Political Activities: Update and Next Steps

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Last month, federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau tabled a motion in the House of Commons that would, among other things, amend Canada’s Income Tax Act in order to “remove the limits on political activities for charities, so that they may pursue their charitable purposes by engaging in non-partis ...Read More

October Projects and Issues Update

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As always, The Federation has been focused on a number of ongoing projects and issues on behalf of our members. Your board members, Rebecca, and I have been advocating and bringing forward issues and concerns (as well as ideas, approaches, and solutions) in meetings and on calls. And behind the scenes, our staff team ...Read More

Poverty Reduction in BC: New Legislation & Next Steps

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Last week, our provincial government tabled the Poverty Reduction Act (Bill 39). The proposed legislation uses the Market Basket Measure (which is now Canada’s official poverty line measure) and identifies the following targets—decreasing the overall poverty rate by 25% and the child poverty rate by 50 ...Read More

2018 Select Standing Committee Presentation

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Below is The Federation’s presentation to the 2018 Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. You can learn more about the committee, the consultation process, and how to make a submission here. Any Federation members needing assistance preparing are encouraged to contact Rebecca at T ...Read More

Make Your Voice Heard: The Select Standing Committee Consultations

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It’s been a little over a year since the BC NDP formed its minority government with the support of the BC Green Party. Over that time, our new government has begun to address some of our province’s long-standing issues and has made good on some of its key promises. But there are also sig ...Read More

Expanding Our Reach: Staff Sign-Up Contest

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As The Federation strives to meet the needs of our members (and to respond to the complexity inherent in the social care sector), the content, services, and supports we are creating and sharing with members are increasingly valuable and relevant to staff other than just an organization’s Executive Director. Our ...Read More