Alongside a group of front-line family support organizations, impacted parents, and feminist legal advocates, West Coast LEAF and Keeping Families Together made a submission to the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) regarding its redesign of Specialized Homes and Support Services (formerly known as Contracted Residential Services). MCFD places children and youth in government care in contracted residence … Read more Submission regarding Specialized Homes and Support Services Redesign
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
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
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
In June 2020, West Coast LEAF made submissions to the budget consultations held by the government of BC Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. We urged the committee to keep front of mind the following fact: if we do not urgently scale up efforts to combat gender inequality, we will see long-term and major … Read more Submission to the BC Budget 2020 consultations
The many children in BC living in homes led by kinship caregivers should not be left out of the financial supports the federal government is providing to families during the COVID-19 crisis. This is why we have joined Parent Support Services Society of BC and other organizations in calling for the Canada Child Benefit to extend to … Read more Letter urging Canada Child Benefit eligibility for kinship caregivers
In January 2020, West Coast LEAF added our voice to the call by Sanctuary City Vancouver and many other groups to end the three-month waiting period to access health care for people entering or returning to Canada. Read our letter to the BC Ministry of Health Medical Services Commission. Submissions
In September 2018, West Coast LEAF submitted a briefing note on Bill C-78 to ensure that proposed changes to the Divorce Act fulfill the stated goals of “promoting the best interests of the child, addressing family violence, reducing child poverty, and making Canada’s justice system more accessible and efficient” and avoid unintended and harmful consequences. … Read more Briefing Note on Divorce Act Amendments
In June 2019, West Coast LEAF made submissions to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services urging the government of BC to commit in Budget 2020 to making financial supports more accessible for families dealing with the child protection system and those in informal kinship care arrangements. Read our submissions. Submissions
In October 2018, West Coast LEAF urged BC’s Finance Committee to make gender equality a budget priority for 2019. In particular, we highlighted the gendered dynamics of poverty and called for BC to invest in measures to promote economic security. Read our submissions. Submissions
