by Michelle Relevante | May 27, 2025
Call for Nominations – Vice President and Treasurer
BCFPA will be hosting our Annual General Meeting October 3-4, 2025 at the the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel. This year, there are two (2) positions for election on the BC Foster Parents Association Board of Directors Executive Committee.
Each position has a two-year term. Nominations for each position must be received by the BCFPA provincial office by July 4, 2025 for distribution to the membership for online voting process. Please note that we have transitioned to 100% online voting through a third-party neutral platform, Simply Voting. It provides BCFPA and our members with a secure, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly voting process.
Eligibility to be nominated as a member of BCFPA’s Board of Directors includes:
a) A nominee must be a voting member in good standing (membership paid in full as of January 31, 2024); be qualified in accordance with Bylaw 7.2; and remain in good standing throughout the election process.
b) Voting members may not nominate themselves and may not nominate more than one nominee for any given position.
c) All nominations must be supported by a second voting member in good standing.
d) All nominations must be made in writing, in a form established by the Society and must be signed by the member who is the nominee, by the member who makes the nomination, and by the supporting member.
e) Nominations must be submitted in advance of the election, in accordance with such deadlines as may be established by the Board. Nominations will not be permitted from the floor at the Annual General Meeting; and
f) All nominations must be vetted by the nominations committee to confirm eligibility and adherence to required process.
Additional policy-related nomination criteria include:
- Nominee must be present at the AGM unless excused by the President for extraordinary reasons.
- Eligible candidates and nominations for officer positions shall be vetted by the Nominating Committee and are confirmed for their knowledge and expertise in relation to the position.
- Candidates must not hold any position on another provincial or regional agency Board of Directors at the time of nomination.
- Candidates running for these positions must have served for at least one year in the previous three years on a BCFPA branch, or on the BCFPA Provincial Board of Directors.
- If only one nominee’s name is submitted for a posted position and they meet all eligibility criteria as stated in the Bylaws, the individual is considered to be elected by acclamation.
- Associate Members who have been elected to hold positions on the Association Board of Directors shall have full voting privileges during their term of office.
Call for Proposed Special Resolutions
Prior to the BCFPA Annual General Meeting, we receive proposals from members in good standing for special resolutions. A special resolution is a proposed change to our Bylaws. The proposed changes are presented to our membership as a whole and voted on. We require a majority vote for the special resolution to be passed. When a special resolution is adopted into BCFPA’s Bylaws through a membership vote, the wording of the resolution is then submitted to the governmental authorities to become part of the Association’s permanent documentation.
by Michelle Relevante | May 27, 2025
BCFPA will be holding an election to fill two regional delegate positions on the Board of Directors, with representatives coming from the Fraser and Interior regions.
Regional Delegates hold positions on the Board of Directors of BC Foster Parents Association to represent the geographic region of BC where they live.
The Regional Delegate’s role is to liaise with foster parents within their home region, gather information regarding issues and events, concerns and successes and report back to the Provincial Board of Directors at monthly meetings. The Regional Delegate may provide direct support and advocacy to the foster parents in their region and may be able to attend Ministry or partnership meetings on behalf of BCFPA when requested to do so. The Regional Delegate represents the region where they live and serves as an information link to and from BCFPA’s Provincial office, however, as a member of the Provincial Board of Directors, they serve with a provincial focus.
General Responsibilities
- Attend monthly Board of Directors conference calls, meetings when required and the Annual General Meeting. This may require travel within the Province up to 3 times per year. BCFPA does cover the cost of any Board-related travel and lodging.
- Liaise with regional agency partners and Ministry workers/leaders as necessary, attending case or partnership meetings as required or invited.
- Contact all active BCFPA Branch leaders specific to the delegate’s region each month to gather information and build relationships.
- Develop supportive relationships with community partners and fostering stakeholders.
- Be available for or provide referral to foster parents who need direct support and/or advocacy.
- Be available to participate as an active member of a BCFPA committee when requested.
- Work as a team member with Provincial Board and staff.
- Provide written reports for the FosterlineBC newsletter and Annual Report, summarizing current activity and news within your region.
General Eligibility Criteria
- BCFPA foster parent member in good standing (current membership to January 31 of present year)
- Active member of BCFPA Branch (preferred, not essential)
- Strong relationships and networking ability within the foster parent community
Term
Regional delegate positions have two-year terms and are considered to be elected or appointed as of the end of the most recent Annual General Meeting.
Deadline for Nominations
The deadline for nominations is June 11, 2025, with the goal of holding the elections from June 18-July 2, 2025.
by Michelle Relevante | May 15, 2025
Join members of BCFPA’s board of directors and provincial office staff to share about your experiences as a caregiver in your region.
BC Foster Parents Association hosts a set of regional and provincial discussion groups via Zoom at regular intervals throughout the year. The intention behind these calls is for caregivers to have opportunities to increase their network, ask questions, gain resources, discuss what’s happening in their region, and build a collaborative relationship with BCFPA as well as other caregivers. These calls are loosely structured open discussions where all attendees are welcome to speak and share freely.
Each call is attended by members of BCFPA’s board of directors and provincial office staff, including our Director of Advocacy/Provincial Community Strategist and head of the Provincial Strategy Initiative, Amanda Oliver.
The date for the May 2025 provincial call will be:
- Thursday, May 29th from 10am – 1pm PST
To inquire further and to receive a link to the session please reach out to our Community Network Coordinator at taiah@bcfosterparents.ca.
IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU ATTEND.
- Regional call attendance is open exclusively to foster caregivers in BC.
- Due to organizational needs, caregivers are only able to attend the session for their region.
- Calls will be recorded for note-taking purposes to ensure that we accurately capture all information shared. This information will be used solely to inform our advocacy efforts and the development of BCFPA’s services. No identifying information will be recorded and nothing discussed will be shared outside of our organization for any reason.
by Michelle Relevante | May 5, 2025
Invitation to all approved foster parents from Abbotsford and Mission:
Please join Amanda Oliver, Director of Advocacy at BCFPA, and your local Foster Caregiver Branch who are hosting a Town Hall meeting.
Hosting a town hall event will allow us to listen directly to foster caregivers in your region. Come share your insights and concerns about issues that matter to you.
The event is open to foster caregivers local to Abbotsford and Mission only. This location has limited space and only the first fifteen people can attend in person, however, there will be a virtual option to attend.
Please RSVP to say if you prefer to be online or in person, for this meeting.
Date: Tuesday May 20th
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Unit 102 – 33832 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford BC V2S 2C5
Registration is open until May 18th.
We look forward to hearing from you!
by Michelle Relevante | Apr 7, 2025
BC Child & Youth in Care Week takes place June 2 – June 8, 2025.
Register now to join the virtual kick-off on June 2nd from 6-7pm. Come together with youth, community partners, and special guests to celebrate the amazing children and youth in and from care across British Columbia. Enjoy incredible youth presenters, prizes, and more!
Register here to join the kick-off.
Community Celebration Grants
The deadline for Community Celebration Grant applications for BC Child & Youth in Care Week is fast approaching. Get your applications in before April 14th!
Planning a celebration for BC Child & Youth in Care Week? Apply to receive up to $250 to help fund your event.
Who can apply for a Grant?
The BCCYICW Community Celebration Grant is open to all agencies, families and friends not already receiving funding through a government agency to host a BCCYICW celebration.
What kind of Celebration Can I Host?
All celebrations must be hosted for a group of children and/or youth. Applications for funds to support a single young person will not be considered.
All celebrations must comply with the BC Child and Youth in Care Week Privacy Policy for Children and Youth in Care
Celebration Grant Process
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The Community Celebrations Selection Committee will review applications after April 14, 2025
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All Applicants will hear back about the committee’s decision by April 18, 2025
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Successful applicants will be required to complete a grant reporting document by early July, 2025
Questions? Contact Taylor at taylor.burnett@fbcyicn.ca
Apply here for a Community Celebration Grant.
Recognition Awards
The deadline for Recognition Awards for BC Child & Youth in Care Week is fast approaching. Get your nominations in before April 25th!
All children and youth in and from care (ages 6-24) who are nominated will receive a Recognition Award. We have a recognition process that is strengths-based and honours the achievements of individuals, whatever that looks like for that young person.
Who can nominate a young person? MCFD staff, ICFSA staff, community partners and groups, foster parents, peers and individuals can nominate young people.
Awards Nomination Process All children and youth who are nominated will receive a Recognition Award. We have a recognition process that is strengths-based and honours the achievements of individuals, whatever that looks like for that young person.
Questions? Contact Taylor at taylor.burnett@fbcyicn.ca or 604-358-8234
Nominate a Child (6-13) here.
Nominate a Youth (14-24) here.
by Michelle Relevante | Apr 2, 2025
BC Foster Parents Association is excited to hold our 58th annual AGM & Conference in Surrey, BC from October 3rd, 2025 through October 4th, 2025.
Book your stay at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel for BCFPA’s 2025 AGM & Conference before September 1st, 2025 to receive our discounted rate of $215/night for a traditional room.
Please follow the link to book rooms directly with the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel.
Guests are also able to book their stay by contacting the hotel directly by phone (1-800-587-3038) or by email (reservation@sheratonguildford.com) and identify themselves as members of the BCFPA to receive the special guest room rate.
