This is the premiere issue of the new electronic version of afsa news - a quarterly publication of the Association of Family Serving Agencies. Let us know what you think. Send a message to info@communitycouncil.ca to promote events or suggest articles for the newsletter.
Forty-five members and guests attended AFSA’s 22nd annual meeting on 3 April 2007. Liz Bloomfield hosted the session on behalf of the AFSA Steering Committee, and reviewed AFSA’s 2006 Annual Report (click here to read the report).
BC’s new Representative for Children and Youth, Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond gave a keynote address where she shared her vision of a children’s agenda through the “Representative for Children and Youth” office. Turpel-Lafond’s approach is supportive and collaborative. She is committed to developing an integrated long-term plan that is clear, positive and non-partisan. Turpel-Lafond outlined the following mandate:
| The AFSA Steering Committee and Community Council Board formalized what has been a long-term relationship by signing a Letter of Agreement. AFSA continues to have an active and committed steering committee, host events and publish newsletters. Instead of hiring a coordinator, the Community Council will provide contracted services to support AFSA's work. Both AFSA and the Community Council will continue to recognize and promote each other and our connections. |  |
(L to R) Theresa Aspol (AFSA/Community Council), David Burns (AFSA), June Preston (AFSA), Bill McElroy (Community Council) |
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Quarterlife Crisis: Connecting with Young and Emerging Adults |
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Citizens' Counselling Centre and Esquimalt Neighbourhood House have received funding from the United Way to launch a new program aimed at young adults 19-29 who are seeking supportive counselling services.
For many young people traditional definitions of success and traditional paths after high school don't resonate. A wealth of choices does little but make them more anxious and afraid to choose. They feel less connected to their parents than any other social group and have higher rates of depression, anxiety and substance abuse than the general population. Discontented, stressed and searching for meaning and direction, they have become a phenomenon. They are struggling to find their way in a world that is far removed from the one their parents moved into in their twenties. And many are having a really tough time navigating the transition.
"Over the past few years more and more young people, now up to about 35% of our clients, have been seeking counselling through the volunteer counselling services provided at Citizens' and Esquimalt" says Brenda Wilson, Director at Citizens'.
"They come citing relationship difficulties/breakups, self-esteem issues, stress, anxiety, and despair. Digging a little deeper, many are engaged in risky behaviours including substance misuse such as binge drinking and frequent pot use, harmful relationships with food, and internet gambling. Since they don't identify their behaviours as addictions – partly because many in their social circle are doing it too – they don't show up at any of the addictions services."
What has been happening at Citizens' and Esquimalt is a growing feeling that these clients might be better served in new ways. With wait lists to contend with and the speed at which many of their lives change, these young adults sometimes do not follow through with counselling and the opportunity is lost. The goal for this new program is to better connect with these young people when they call for help and to offer them timely, supportive interventions based on what they want.
A contract coordinator will develop training programs for interested graduate volunteer counsellors at Citizens' and Esquimalt that will enhance their skill set. Strategies will include not only traditional face to face individual and group counselling but also telephone counselling and online counselling – modalities that appeal to younger clients. The Coordinator will work closely with a Community Advisory Group.
Through volunteer counsellors, "we intend to provide education about any risky behaviours young adults engage in, as appropriate and as the opportunity arises," Brenda continues. This will include "how to set natural limits to consumption, ways to practice better harm reduction, etc. We'll provide education around alcohol and sexuality, alcohol and violence and any proactive work we can do, but mostly we'll be there to build the relationship with the client on their terms and in their preferred way. We have high hopes for this project enhancing our capacity to work with young adults. We can hardly wait to share what we learn with others working with youth."
For more information contact Brenda Wilson at gvccc@pacificcoast.net.
In January, 2007 the provincial government announced reduced funding for Child Care Resource and Referral Centres and the Child Care Operating Funding Program as a result of the federal cancellation of the Early Learning and Child Care Agreement (ELCCA). Although the Province anticipates receiving some funding under the new federal Child Care Spaces Initiative, funding reductions overall continue to negatively impact the creation of needed child care spaces and parents’ ability to find affordable quality child care for their children.
As an example, Child Care Resource and Referral Centres in the Capital Regional District tell us that all group child care centres for infants to three years of age are full, and that some have closed their waitlists. This situation is mirrored in other communities. For most families in our community it takes two parents working outside the home to pay the bills. Some parents are currently working opposite shifts so someone is home to care for the children, reducing the amount of time families are able to spend together. For single parents reliant on one income, choices are even more limited. Some parents have been forced to leave their children in informal, unmonitored care or leave the workforce altogether.
This costs parents in increased stress, reduced earnings and lost job opportunities. And it also costs employers; in staff absenteeism and turnover, and difficulty in finding skilled employees.
Above all, it costs us in our children’s future. It is well-documented that children who have quality learning environments – and child care is the cornerstone of early childhood development – have less behaviour problems, do better socially and at school, and have better health. The supports we give them now have an enormous pay-off down the road – in family wellbeing and the social and economic health of our community.
The solution remains the establishment of a sustainable child care system that provides families with a range of accessible, affordable, quality child care options appropriate to their needs.
Liz Bloomfield
Executive Director
Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre
The Victoria Cool Aid Society released their research report, Homeless Needs Survey in April 2007. The purpose of the Homeless Needs Survey was to gain a deeper understanding of what people who are homeless or unstably housed feel they need in order to find and maintain housing. Based on the survey, six basic recommendations are made:
“The survey provided a wealth of detailed information about what is needed by people in our community who are inadequately housed,” said Community Council Researcher Jane Worton. “It also dispelled some common myths about those who are homeless.”
The Homeless Needs Survey counted 1,242 persons throughout the Capital Region who were homeless or unstably housed. This is an under-reporting of the actual numbers of individuals and families who are inadequately housed.
The full research report is available on www.coolaid.org as 'Homeless Survey' under the 'Quick Links' section.
This was the theme of a meeting on Friday May 25th, 2007 at the Queen Alexandra Centre with guest speaker Bev Digout, Coordinator of Parenting Education Saskatchewan
The event, organized by June Preston, former coordinator of Family Education Services at VIHA, was an interesting opportunity for discussion, learning and sharing ideas about the importance of support for parenting education and about Saskatchewan’s funding of a Provincial Coordinator of Parenting Education.
Participants interested in supporting parenting education included community representatives from Victoria, Port Alberni, Duncan and Vancouver as well as VIHA staff. For more information on this discussion, please contact junepreston@shaw.ca. To visit the Parenting Education Saskatchewan website, www.parenteducationsask.ca
Thanks to Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children for supportive funding to host this event.Katherine Whittred, MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale, Chair of the select Standing Committee on Children & Youth recently made a presentation at the BC Legislature in Victoria as a “Champion” for the steadily rising number of grandparents raising grandchildren in BC.
Katherine Whittred made three strong recommendations during the closing remarks of her presentation on grandparents raising grandchildren in BC:
(Click here to read the full transcript)
AFSA was an instigating partner, with Parent Support Services Victoria and U Vic in the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren project funded through the Queen Alexandra Foundation 2004 - 2006. Subsequently, Parent Support Services Victoria received funding through the United Way to work with 4 other local agencies to increase and integrate services to grandparent-led families. Parent Support Services also received second stage funding from the Queen Alexandra Foundation to continue the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren project with U Vic for development of GRG supports in the Central and North Vancouver Island area.
A small group of grandparents raising grandchildren and members of the professional community, coordinated through Parent Support Services, have continued to stay involved and to follow up with keeping grandparents raising grandchildren in the foreground of political interest in BC so that the policies and financial assistance packages for grandparent-led families can be made stronger and more consistent. Katherine Whittred has made a commitment to following through with her plans to increase awareness and affect policy change.
Click here for more information
Or contact Parent Support Services Victoria at parent-island@shaw.ca
Jennifer Owen, Program Manager - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria
My thanks to June Preston for her invitation to me to join this committee. I already know some of you from my travels around the child and youth community in Victoria, but for others, I can add that my background is in Child and Youth Care, and I have been working in a variety of family-supporting roles for many years. I have a particular interest in attachment theory, and in the neurophysiology of the early years. Before coming into my present role, I was with Boys & Girls Club services for seven years, most lately working with young mothers. In January 2007 I was excited and honoured to join the team here at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
This is an exciting time at BBBS, where we are undergoing expansion and re-visioning. My strong belief is that, “As goes childhood, so goes society 40 years hence,” so I feel most fortunate to be in a position where I can continue to work in the support of children and families.
Big Brothers Big Sisters is the leading child and youth serving organization providing mentoring programs across Canada. Since 1913, BBBS has provided support to more than 1000 Canadian communities. Over 150 local agencies offer the service that the organization was founded on – one-to-one matching. Men and women (age 19 or older) give of their time to become mentors to children aged 7 years and older, who can greatly benefit from having an adult role model to look up to.
In response to the different needs and demands of children, youth, and volunteers alike, we have created new programs to fit our changing society. As well as our traditional mentoring program, there is:
The impact made by our volunteers is profound. Children who have been in our program see real, positive change. Our Littles go on to graduate from high school at a rate of 20% higher than the national average. 78% of Littles who came from a social assistance background no longer rely on this form of income and a disproportionately high number of former Littles graduate from college or university compared to others in their age group. These numbers reflect the ongoing relevance and importance of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
If you have any questions or ideas about the newsletter please contact us. Please do forward this newsletter to others who are involved in this work.