In June, Family Services of Greater Vancouver wrote a recommendation for the 2024 BC Budget for the Province to:
- Invest in financial empowerment as a poverty reduction strategy.
- We asked the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction for $500,000 per year over the next three years because financial empowerment is a proven strategy for poverty reduction that supports the most at-risk families across the province. With this funding, FSGV would be able to continue to improve the lives of British Columbians and expand our Financial Empowerment program’s proven model across the province.
- Provide core funding and reduced waited times for trauma counselling and victim support programs.
- We asked the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General for $500,000 and for the Ministry of Children and Family Development to immediately expand existing programs to address waitlists for the children, youth, and adults who have experienced trauma. With this funding, FSGV would be able to hire more counsellors to reduce the waitlists in PEACE and Stopping the Violence. We would also be able to hire an additional victim support worker for the work we do in the domestic violence unit in Vancouver. With more government support, we could help more people access the life-changing trauma counselling and victim support that ends cycles of violence.
- Standardize administrative funding at 18% across all ministry contracts with non-profits.
- Inflation, wages, and operations costs create a financial roadblock for many service delivery partners. Standardized administrative funding would give non-profits the flexibility to invest in education, technology, and infrastructure – giving front-line workers and administrative support workers the environment and tools to maximize their impact in the community. It would also provide funding for marketing programs and services to ensure that the British Columbians who need them most know who they can turn to for support.
Beyond the ask for more administrative funding, we also asked the province to implement funding structures in order to ensure that contracted government employees are paid a living wage.
The work Family Services of Greater Vancouver does with clients is only one part of our story. We’re also advocating for systems change, through budget submissions and more.
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