Read the announcement here.

British Columbia child and family welfare laws now respect and uphold the inherent rights of Indigenous communities to provide their own child and family services with the passing of new legislation. The new Indigenous Self-Government in Child and Family Services Amendment Act act lays the path for Indigenous Peoples in BC to legally assume jurisdiction over child and family services in their communities.

The act makes the first jurisdiction in Canada to recognize an inherent right of self-government specifically in provincial legislation, which will help keep Indigenous children and youth safely connected to their families, cultures and communities.

The legislative amendments remove barriers and gaps within provincial legislation, enabling the Province and Indigenous Peoples to collaborate and ensure Indigenous Peoples can govern and provide services based on their own child and family laws.

The amendments:

• recognize the inherent right of self-government as written into section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, and provide a pathway for Indigenous Peoples to implement their own Indigenous laws over child and family services in B.C.;
• remove existing barriers and gaps to allow Indigenous governing bodies to exercise direct responsibility for their children and youth under their Indigenous laws in matters related to child protection, custody, guardianship and care; and
• strengthen consultation, co-operation and consent-based decision-making with Indigenous communities about adoption placements for Indigenous children and youth.

To learn more about the amendments, please visit this link. 

Introduction of the bill by the Honourable Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development

BCFPA will hold its 55th Annual General Meeting on October 22, 2022
preceded by a workshop day on October 21, 2022

Join us at the Inn at Laurel Point
680 Montreal St, Victoria, BC

Thursday, October 20: Meet and Greet begins at 7:00 pm
Friday, October 21: Conference sessions begin at 9:30 am
Saturday, October 22: AGM promptly begins at 9:00 am.

There is no charge if you’re only attending the AGM.Doors open for the Banquet Dinner at 6:00 pm.

See the AGM Registration Package for all the details or call BCFPA at 1-800-663-9999

Event Itinerary

October 20, 2022 (Thursday)

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm – Meet and Greet Networking Session

5:00 pm to 8:00 pm – Retirement Reception for Annette Harding (Invitation only)

October 21, 2022 (Friday)

7:00 am to 8:30 am – Breakfast and Registration

8:45 am to 9:30 am – Opening Remarks by Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth, BC’s Representative for Children and Youth

9:30 am to 4:30 pm – Conference sessions

Workshop A: Applied Allyship for Foster Caregivers with Alden Habacon and Krista Laboucane

Workshop B: A Resilience-boosting Toolkit for Foster Caregivers with Patricia Morgan

5:30 am to 7:00 pm – Partnership Meeting (Invitation only)

October 22, 2022 (Saturday)

7:00 am to 8:30 am – Breakfast and Registration

9:00 am to 12:00 pm – Annual General Meeting
Guest Speaker: The Honourable Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development

6:00 pm to 11:00 pm – Banquet Dinner and Fundraiser (Solo piano entertainment by Sharon Rose Perrin)

About our Speakers

Alden resides in Vancouver and is one of Canada’s leading diversity and inclusion strategists and facilitators.

He is highly regarded for his over seventeen years of impact and his innovative work around inclusive leadership, unconscious bias, and intercultural training. He works with organisations and leadership from a wide range of sectors throughout Canada including social services, municipalities, the legal community, first responders, and the public sector.

Organizations that Alden has helped in developing diversity and inclusion strategies and training include Vancity, First West Credit Union, UBCP ACTRA, Worksafe BC, and YVR.

Krista is Métis from Fort McMurray and currently resides in Edmonton.

Over the past 20 years, Krista has been an Indigenous Relations and Employment Specialist working with Indigenous communities, industry, and multiple levels of governance. She helps organizations to advance Indigenous relations and incorporate Indigenous policy into human resources, business development, leadership, procurement, marketing, and sponsorship.

Krista’s work experience includes Women Building Futures, Director of the Métis Settlement Strategic Training Society, and Civeo Corporation. Her volunteer work includes Calgary Urban Aboriginal Youth Advisory Committee with Heritage Canada, Fostering Connections, and Wicihitowin.

Her awards and recognition include the 1999 RBC General Managers Award for the foundational work on The Aboriginal Stay in School Program; and the 2007 Provincial Acknowledgement for 10 years of working with Children in Care.

With a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology Patricia Morgan provides practical how-to’s that decrease stress and miscommunication while increasing self-awareness, vitality, and satisfaction. Audiences describe Patricia and her message as meaningfully fun, surprisingly insightful, and delightfully uplifting.

She is the author of Love Her as She Is: Lessons from a Daughter Stolen by Addictions, The Light Hearted Approach: 87 Ways to Be an Upbeat Parent, Gag Your Nagging and other publications. With a background as an ECE college instructor, childcare director, English-As-A-Second-Language pre-school director, family resource centre director, family counsellor and years as a parent educator she is equipped with a range of topics and experiences that can be used to educate, inspire, acknowledge, and empower.

Patricia is the mother of three grown children (two biological and one adopted) and grandmother to five. She is an advocate for her daughter and two grandsons who live with FASD.

Workshop A

Applied Allyship for Foster Caregiving with Alden Habacon and Krista Laboucane

Part 1: Celebrating the Intent of Being a Foster Caregiver (Intent vs. Impact)

Holding space for acknowledging the intent of being a temporary place for children.

Part 2: How to be an Ally

Foundational knowledge around what allies are, different kinds of allies, and doing the “inner work” and “outer work” of being an ally.

Part 3: Applied Allyship for Foster Caregivers

As an application of “Do your research to learn more about the history of the struggle in which you are participating”, this section is focused on learning the history of Indigenous families, and acknowledging the forces that have contributed to the current situation for Indigenous children, such as the 60’ Scoop and the Millennial Scoop.

Part 4: How do we get the families whole again?
A facilitated conversation around the day-to-day behaviours and language that will support the reunification of families, such as disrupting microaggressions, cultivating love for the biological parents, and using healing and inclusive language.

Part 5: What is the Role of Foster Caregivers in terms of Reconciliation?

A sharing with foster caregivers on the changes in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Call to Actions and related legislation, and the implications on foster caregivers of Indigenous children.

Part 6: Basic Skills for Being an Intercultural Parent

This engaging and interactive module provides a frank conversation about the complex difficulties of parenting in a multicultural family environment, the intercultural afterthought, and how to manage profound cultural differences across family members.

Part 7: Applied Cultural Literacy

As cultural literacy is a core aspect of intercultural fluency, this applied section will focus on essential cultural knowledge needed for Indigenous children to feel connected with their ancestral and cultural communities. This session will include learning about Tobacco Teachings (with a focus on healing), and Water Teachings (with a focus on connectedness).

Closing & Reflections: What? So What? Now What?

The closing is a space for attendees to digest and self-reflect on what they have learned or discovered through the day, and what impact this might have on their aspirations as well-intentioned foster parents and caregivers. It will also provide additional space for honest dialogue and reflection on how authority can cause unintended meaning, and how foster caregivers can further develop the courage and commitment to most effectively be an ally to youth in government care.

Workshop B

A Resilience-boosting Toolkit for Foster Caregivers: Thriving in the Face of Continuous Change with Patricia Morgan

To foster children and youth, you are called upon to provide genuine empathy, heartfelt compassion, resilient flexibility, stable routines, clear communication skills, emotional safety, endless patience, and joyful humour. All of this is on top of ensuring the basics of food, shelter, clothing, guidance, and nurturing. No wonder foster caregivers need time away to regroup, to explore alternative strategies (not solutions), and celebrate the positive differences they make.

With an intention to share possibilities from an uplifting perspective, we will discuss:

Part 1: How Protective and Risk Factors Influence Children’s Resilience

Major life events, such as separation from parents, as well as daily stress and coping strategies affect children. Having a road map of both protective and risk factors will help guide our influence on children’s long-term well-being.

Part 2: Ways to Minimize Caregiver Burnout

Having basic stress management skills is essential when facing daily challenges. The longer we neglect distress, the more disruptive the symptoms become. Each person has different coping strategies. However, it is important that these coping strategies are helpful.

Part 3: Mapping our Autonomic Nervous System

Building on stress management skills, understanding the role of the nervous system in conflict, anxiety, depression, and trauma can help guide your reactions and interactions. Based on the Polyvagal Theory, we will track the three major states of Centered, Charged, and Give-up. Doing so enables us to better take responsibility for our emotional reactions and support emotional regulation in children and youth.

Part 4: Strengthening Connection through Effective Communication

We can shift poor communication patterns by avoiding trigger words, supporting emotions, attentively listening, and building trusting relationships.

Part 5: Building on Strengths and Virtues

Building on strengths and virtues helps minimize conflict and strengthen resilience and connection. Strengths are talents or gifts of the individual, while virtues are guiding principles for family interactions.

Part 6: Adding a Dose of Happiness

By creating and using a Joy-list, you will enhance your self-care and your home environment. Adding gratitude enriches all in the household.

IMPORTANT: Please read before filling out the registration form.

REGISTRATIONS: Please submit one form per attendee. This form is also available in a fillable PDF version. All registration forms must be received by the BCFPA Provincial Office by September 30, 2022.

ACCOMMODATIONS: Accommodation and parking are NOT included in the registration fee. Please book your room through the Inn at Laurel Point’s Reservations Department by calling 1-800-663-7667 or 250-386-8721. The deadline to book is September 9, 2022 to receive our special rate of $189 (Laurel Wing), based on single or double occupancy. This rate is exclusive of applicable taxes and service fees. A charge of $25.00 applies to each additional guest over the age of 18. Please quote BC Foster Parents Association when making your booking.

CANCELLATION and REFUND POLICY: Refunds (minus a $20 cancellation fee) will only be made for cancellations received in writing to Saarah Sandhu at saarah@bcfosterparents.ca by September 30, 2022. You are welcome to name an alternate participant. There will be NO refunds for non-attendance.

CHILDCARE: Childcare is not provided for the AGM and Conference Event.

This form is currently closed for submissions.

Our first in-person AGM and Conference after 2 years of being apart is happening on October 21-22, 2022 in Victoria. Located in the heart of BC’s vibrant capital, this year’s AGM will be held at the Inn at Laurel Point where you can enjoy a majestic view of the harbour. Beautiful waterfront location? An evening of networking and fun? Sumptuous food? Training and workshops? Guest speakers? Luxurious auction packages for you to bid on? We’ve got all that for you! We have so many surprises for our attendees, you don’t want to miss it!

The Ministry of Children and Family Development is supporting this year’s BCFPA AGM and Conference in Victoria. Bursaries will be given to two foster parents in each service delivery area which will cover the cost of your AGM registration fee ($350 value). Winners will also receive a cheque for $250 to assist with expenses. The cheque will be available to winners at the AGM.

If you would like to have an opportunity to receive one of the bursaries, please fill out our online application form which can be found HERE.

You can also send us the following information by mail, e-mail or fax by August 5, 2022:

1.  Your full name, complete address, email address and at least one phone number where we can contact you.

2.  The name of who you contract for as a foster parent? (MCFD, Delegated Aboriginal Agency or other  agency)

4.  If you have a current contract. Applicant contract status will be verified.

5.  Name and contact information of your Resource Social Worker (email address and phone number).

6.  Send the above information to BCFPA by e-mail, fax or regular mail to:

Email: office@bcfosterparents.ca

Address: 208-20641 Logan Avenue, Langley, BC V3A 7R3

Fax: 604-544-2223

Winners will be notified by phone and email by August 12, 2022. 

Our first in-person AGM and Conference after 2 years of being apart due to the pandemic is happening on October 21-22, 2022 in Victoria. Located in the heart of BC’s vibrant capital, this year’s AGM will be held at the Inn at Laurel Point where you can enjoy a majestic view of the harbour. Beautiful waterfront location? An evening of networking and fun? Sumptuous food? Training and workshops? Guest speakers? Luxurious auction packages for you to bid on? We’ve got all that for you! We have so many surprises for our attendees, you don’t want to miss it!

You can now start booking your rooms through the Reservations Department by calling 1-800-663-7667 or 250-386-8721 or by e-mail at reservations@laurelpoint.com. Book your hotel room by September 9, 2022 to receive our special rate of $189 (Laurel Wing), based on single or double occupancy and are exclusive of applicable taxes and service fees. A charge of $25.00 applies to each additional guest over the age of 18. Please quote BC Foster Parents Association.

For questions, call 1-800-663-9999 or email office@bcfosterparents.ca.

This week is BC Child and Youth in Care Week (BCCYICW). BC Foster Parents Association is a proud member of the BC Child and Youth in Care Week Committee. First proclaimed by the province in 2011, BCCYICW is a whole week devoted to celebrating BC’s incredible young people in government care. A group of youth in and from care advocated for this week so that their siblings in care could group up feeling celebrated for their diverse talents. They also wanted to raise awareness about the barriers they face and fight the stigma that comes with being a “foster kid”.

To kick off BCCYICW, we are launching The Ames Family Foundation Bursary. At BCFPA, we understand that availability does not mean accessibility. There is no age cap and the application process is simple and low-barrier. We encourage diverse and equity-seeking individuals to apply, specifically those who are Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ identified, persons of all abilities, and the intersections of these identities. Six bursaries of $5,000 will be awarded to youth from government care. To apply, visit this page. 

We would like to thank Ames Family Foundation for their generous donation which made this bursary possible.