On September 29, 2021, West Coast LEAF made a written submission on BC’s Budget 2022 to the provincial legislature’s Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. The Committee conducted public consultations on priorities for the next budget and will release a report outlining its recommendations by November 15, 2021. The upcoming budget must not be about … Read more Submissions to the BC Budget 2022 Consultation
The Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in Colucci v Colucci today, setting out much-needed clarifications in child support law that will make it easier for single mothers to receive the child support that they are owed. The Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) and West Coast LEAF are thrilled that the Court adopted many of the arguments that they set … Read more Release: Supreme Court of Canada improves child support law, addressing economic insecurity of single mothers and their children
In May 2021, West Coast LEAF wrote to the BC government to call for action to ensure that kinship caregivers have fair and equal access to the BC Recovery Benefit, which is designed to support families during the pandemic. Kinship families are made up of grandparents, aunts, cousins, older siblings, and other relatives who are … Read more Letter on the denial of the BC Recovery Benefit to kinship caregivers
This case is about the constitutionality of s. 96 of BC’s child welfare legislation, the Child, Family, and Community Service Act. Under s. 96…
VANCOUVER, UNCEDED COAST SALISH HOMELANDS – With BC Budget 2021 released yesterday, the province has missed an historic opportunity to leverage the federal commitments to gender equity and rebuild crumbling provincial systems that have been gutted or allowed to languish over many decades. “Today’s budget announcement is disappointing. We were hoping to see the provincial … Read more Release: BC Budget 2021: A missed opportunity to foster gender-based equity, leverage federal budget commitments
West Coast LEAF collaborated with Rise Women’s Legal Centre and lawyer Frances Rosner on submissions in response to a consultation paper by the BC Law Institute about possible reforms to child welfare law. Our submissions were developed in consultation with a group of front-line family support organizations, anti-violence advocates, family law experts, and feminist legal advocates with expertise in … Read more Joint submissions on the BC Law Institute consultation paper on Modernizing the Child, Family and Community Service Act
Read our 2020 Annual Report to learn about West Coast LEAF’s work for gender justice in the 2019/2020 fiscal year. Publications
The COVID-19 BC Gender Equality Report Card assesses the BC government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of impacts for gender…
Dating back to 2002, LEAFlets have been an accessible, seasonal method for West Coast LEAF to communicate our work at-a-glance. These LEAFlets hold a treasure trove of information on our work spanning decades, including summaries of cases, spotlights of community partners, interviews with staff, supporters, and volunteers, and much more. While LEAFlets are no longer … Read more LEAFlet newletters
Ottawa, ON – Tomorrow, on November 4, the Supreme Court of Canada will hear arguments in a family law case from Ontario that will significantly affect women and children’s poverty. LEAF and West Coast LEAF will be intervening in the appeal to highlight the reality that child support in Canada is chronically underpaid and overwhelmingly gendered. LEAF and West Coast … Read more Release: Supreme Court to decide case on child support orders with critical impacts on women and children’s poverty