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📎 FCSSBC: Comprehensive June 25, 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 25, 2024

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Table of contents

  • Poll
  • Reconciliation
  • Health & mental health
  • Training opportunities
  • Communities & families
  • Highlights
  • Children & youth
  • Homelessness & housing
  • Toxic drugs
  • Good news

Poll

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Reconciliation

Provincial statements on National Indigenous Peoples Day | E-Know

The provincial statements on National Indigenous Peoples Day highlight the celebration of the rich histories, traditions, and cultures of Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia. The focus is building a future based on reconciliation, respect, and recognition of Indigenous rights. Efforts are being made to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, end Indigenous-specific racism, improve well-being, recognize self-determination and self-government, and uphold Aboriginal rights and titles. The importance of listening, learning, and joining celebrations honouring Indigenous cultures, traditions, languages, and histories is also emphasized.

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Health & mental health

First responders praised following B.C. school bus crash | CBC News

A school bus crash in B.C.’s Cariboo region left about 36 people injured and one person dead in a subsequent crash. First responders, including volunteer fire departments and firefighters, were praised for their swift and coordinated response. Seven people were airlifted to the hospital, while seven others were sent in ambulances. The cause of the bus crash is still under investigation. The Grade 6 and 7 students from two elementary schools who were on the bus were returning from a field trip. Nearly 40 students and four adults were “extricated” from the site of the accident, with the driver and one student needing to be rescued. One of the children on the bus was identified as a firefighter’s child, who was among those hurt and airlifted to a hospital. B.C. Emergency Health Services sent 11 ambulances and seven air ambulances to the scene.

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Training opportunities

Communities & families

Penticton council pushing for complex care in calls for action | Castanet

Penticton council is advocating for complex care and better housing at various conferences, including the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference and the UBCM housing forum. They are pushing for support in funding growth without relying on property taxes and seeking help from senior levels of government to cover the cost of replacing aging infrastructure. The estimated costs of the trips are budgeted in the Mayor and Council operating budget.

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Highlights

PTSD Awareness Day (June 27)

June 27 is National PTSD Awareness Day, highlighting the prevalence of PTSD symptoms in Canada. The survey indicates that 8% of Canadians have probable PTSD based on recent symptoms. The pandemic has posed challenges to accessing care for those with PTSD. Women and younger adults are more likely to meet the criteria for probable PTSD. Additionally, the pandemic’s full impact on PTSD is yet to be determined.

Children & youth

Disturbing neglect case: Calls for changes to B.C.’s child protection system | CTV News

The child protection system in British Columbia is facing calls for significant changes after a disturbing case of neglect involving three young Indigenous children. The children were found living in filthy conditions, severely neglected, and isolated. Despite repeated reports to social services, the situation was apparently ignored until the biological mother herself called for help. The Representative for Children and Youth, Jennifer Charlesworth, believes the current system is stretched and fails to provide necessary family support. She questions whether the system is equipped to handle the complexities children face today and calls for building a new model. The foster family of the children has filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the RCMP, expressing frustration over the lack of thorough investigation into their concerns.

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Homelessness & housing

Ninety new affordable homes open in District of N Vancouver | BC Housing News

New affordable rental homes have opened in North Vancouver, providing a mix of rental rates, including deeply subsidized rates and rent geared to income. The Salal Apartments offer 90 new homes, including one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units. The development is located in a walkable, transit-oriented community close to parks, schools, and services. The project is part of a $19-billion housing investment by the BC government, with funding provided by BC Housing, the District of North Vancouver, the Government of Canada, and Vancity Credit Union. The initiative aims to address the critical issue of affordable housing and support community members with low and moderate incomes.

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Toxic drugs

Drug user groups ask court to quash B.C. drug ‘recriminalization’ | CBC

Several drug user advocacy groups in British Columbia have taken the Federal Government to court, arguing that the decision to recriminalize public drug possession puts users at increased risk of death. The groups claim that the decision to roll back the decriminalization pilot did not consider the Charter-protected rights of drug users and was made in bad faith. They also argue that the decision pushes drug users further into the shadows and increases the death toll. The Federal Government has not responded to the application in the Federal Court, and the groups are seeking to quash the minister’s decision rather than order it to be sent back for reconsideration. They emphasize the urgency of the situation, with seven British Columbians dying each day from the toxic, unregulated drug supply.

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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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