Family Connections magazine by BC Council for Families

FamilyConnections The BC Council for Families Magazine Summer 2011

 the year in review 

ANNUAL REPORT 2010

pg. 14

Sharing Our Stories. Shaping Our Future. pg. 8

NUMBERS TELL A STORY

pg. 12

Standing On Our Own Two Feet pg. 27

Council for Families

Eco Audit

FamilyConnections

1 trees preserved for the future 4 lbs waterborne waste not created 587 gallons wastewater flow saved 65 lbs solid waste not generated 128 lbs net greenhouse gases prevented 979,200 BTUs energy not

editor Marilee Peters art director Tina Albrecht contributors Ruby Banga, Jennifer Dales, Douglas Dunn, Diane, Glenn Hope, Marilee Peters, Reesa Peterson, Shirley Sterlinger, Sylvia Tremblay, Ana Maria Tsougrianis subscriptions By membership with the BC Council for Families. www.bccf.ca Family Connections is published four times per year by the BC Council for Families. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Council, its members or funders. #204 – 2590 Granville Street Vancouver, bc v6h 3h1 t 604 678 8884 e editor@bccf.ca www.bccf.ca Established in 1977, the BC Council for Families is a registered non-profit society. Registration #0488189-09-28 Charitable BN#11921-7180-RR0001 issn#1195-9428 officers of the society Sylvia Tremblay · President Gale Stewart · Vice President Glenn Hope · Executive Director board of directors Gail Brown · Interior Connie Canam · Vancouver Coastal Paula Cayley · Vancouver Coastal Bella Cenezero · Fraser Kathy Kendall · Interior Carolyn Mui · Fraser Gale Stewart · Vancouver Coastal John Thornburn · Fraser Sylvia Tremblay · Fraser Bev Wice · Interior Victor Zhou · Vancouver Coastal

consumed

volume 15, issue 2 summer 2011

Focus on 2010 8 Sharing Our Stories. Shaping Our Future Our story started in 1977 and has been gathering momentum ever since. We share highlights from the past year. The plot thickens! 12 Numbers Tell a Story Significant digits from 2010. 14 President’s Message Sylvia Tremblay 15 Executive Director’s Message Glenn Hope 16 Auditor’s Report

Departments 3 From the Editor’s Desk Stories build connections and create relationships. We share our story. 4 News & Notes A retrospective of HealthyFamilies blog posts from the year ended: research, advocacy and passionate opinions. 5 Toolbox Review: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Creating dialogue around a parenting polemic 6 Connections Shirley Sterlinger: Member, Donor, Past President, Family Champion Celebrating a lifelong passion for families

27 The Final Word Standing On Our Own Two Feet. What does it take to create long term sustainability? Commitment, dedication, and innovation!

2 Family Connections Summer 2011

Printed on 100% recycled paper

From the Editor’s Desk

Each June, the BC Council for Families holds its Annual General Meeting, and in the weeks leading up to that yearly milestone, as we collect the data, review the year’s activities and select the areas to highlight for the Annual Report, I am always overcome by a strong memory of my school days. In so many ways, the Annual Report feels like a report card for our organization – how did we do this year? Were we “A” students? Did we make the honour roll?

and their young children to discover the joy of language together through stories, rhymes and song. Beth Hutchinson, the long-time provincial coordinator for the program in BC, is a passionate advocate for storytelling. This is what she has to say about stories:

“Stories have been told throughout human history; they shine a light on human experience. They build our understanding of our place in the family and the world; they build our ability to Fortunately, this year I can be confident express ourselves; they provide fun; they that we made grades that I’d be proud to allow us to comprehend sorrow and loss; bring home to Mom and Dad. they build connection with others. The wisdom of the ancients is recorded in We’ve worked hard here at the Council stories; the wisdom of today’s parents and over the past year. We’ve been training children is being told in stories also.” new parent educators and family service workers, bringing professional support This year, we challenged parents and and ongoing learning to those already children around BC to share a family story delivering programs to families, developing with us in our Family Writes Storytelling new materials and programs, searching Contest. Many of you responded with for innovative ways to bring information heartwarming and occasionally hilarious and resources to our audiences, talking tales. Now, you can read the stories, to government about the supports and collected together in the Family Writes services that families need, and sharing Commemorative Storybook. Charmingly ideas and concerns with our partners and illustrated by our own Tina Albrecht, the colleagues in organizations around the storybook will be available through our province. We’ve been thinking and talking online bookstore beginning this summer. and planning and researching for families, about families, and with families. Please, join us in these pages as we celebrate the power of stories. We’ll share So in this issue of Family Connections, some of the lessons we’ve learned over which for the first time incorporates our the past year, some of our successes, our Annual Report, we have decided to share plans for the year ahead, and our vision with you some of the stories of our year – for the future. from the perspectives of staff members, family service professionals, volunteers, parents, and academics – all of whom have made unique and valuable contributions to our accomplishments this year. Stories are powerful tools that connect individuals, organizations, communities and cultures. When I think of stories, I think of Parent-Child Mother Goose®, the ever-popular program that helps parents

Marilee Peters, Editor

Summer 2011 Family Connections 3

News & Notes

Council staff are busy bloggers, keeping professionals in the family service sector updated on the latest in current research and best practices, and weighing in on a variety of hot button issues. We’re informed, we’re opinionated, and we’re online at www.bccf.ca/blog. Here’s a selection of favourite posts from the past year.

April 26, 2011 by Ruby Banga

Promoting Parent Resourcefulness Does participating in parenting programs improve parent and child outcomes? That’s the question that a group of researchers from Trent University in Ontario recently set out to answer. Their new study, “A Reappraisal of the Nobody’s Perfect Program” was published in the online Journal of Child and Family Studies in February 2011. The study is a follow-up to a 2007 evaluation of the popular Canadian parenting program which concluded that participants showed significant improvements in parenting confidence, satisfaction, and resourcefulness. In particular, the study found that mothers with higher resourcefulness scores are more likely to have resourceful children. The researchers concluded that Nobody’s Perfect’s emphasis on strengthening parent resourcefulness positively affects long-term child outcomes. Researchers Deborah Kennett, Gail Chislett and Ashley Oliver write that, “Based on this evidence, we theorize that in a longitudinal study, increased general and parental resourcefulness would be directly related to improved youth outcomes in the domains of school achievement, and reduced likelihood of teen pregnancy, substance abuse and juvenile delinquency/criminal activity. This is an important and outstanding initiative for future research.”

4 Family Connections Summer 2011

August 9, 2010 by Jennifer Dales

the challenges of parenting. When parents realize that others are struggling with the same issues, it normalizes some of the stresses they are facing, so that parents are able to focus less on the no-fun aspects of parenting and more on the joyful part. In a response to a similar article (“Parenting and Happiness”) which appeared recently in the online version of The Economist magazine, one reader noted that “instant gratification is not the same as a long term reward”. Good point. A shift in focus from thinking about parenting as fun, to thinking of it as rewarding, changes the discussion immensely.

Do Parents Hate Parenting? The debate about how parenting impacts happiness is heating up, with the recent appearance in major media of a number of new articles exploring the topic. Some 24,000 readers, (it’s growing daily), have recommended a story in New York Magazine called “All Joy and No Fun: Why Parents Hate Parenting” to their Facebook networks. The article has generated more than 600 online comments, and the discussion reveals that the issue has struck a nerve with the public. Current research seems to reveal that marital happiness actually dips after the birth of a first child, and it gets lower with more than one child. This research shows fairly consistently that having children does not make people happier. Where the debate starts is in the interpretation of these findings. What does this all mean? Are children supposed to make us happy? Are we supposed to enjoy every aspect of caring for our children? Should we expect to be happy every moment of our lives? Part of the reason that unhappiness and parenting go together may be all of the changes that make modern parenting more stressful than previous generations experienced. Lack of social support, isolation from extended families or networks of support, and a culture of fear and pressure to be super-parents may be turning parenting into a miserable experience. Another factor is the rising age of first time parents. Many new parents have enjoyed years of personal freedom and workplace accomplishments, making them less than satisfied with the hard work associated with caring for small children – diapers, laundry, the endless cleaning up of spills and toys, and so on. One of the reasons parenting groups are so important is that parents have a chance to realize that they are not the only one facing

February 28, 2011 by Marilee Peters

Families First: A Second Look Brand new premier Christy Clark won the support of the BC Liberal Party on Sunday with her policy platform of Families First. The Families First Agenda for Change revolves around four key policy approaches: job creation, empowering people through more open and transparent government, modernizing our approach to healthy families, and building safe communities. In her victory speech, Clark was clear about which of the four policy areas will take first priority: “My commitment to putting families first starts with job creation,” she stated. Now, achieving financial stability for families can’t be underestimated, and Clark’s commitment to the challenges ahead in building a strong economy is to be commended. But wouldn’t it be great to see the Families First Agenda include just a little more substance and a little less hype? On my list: • increased support for childcare, and supports for families to enable parents to choose to stay home with their young children • a comprehensive poverty action plan that includes a living wage for families • increased availability of safe and affordable housing for low-income families • increased investment in prevention and early intervention programs and services that reduce risk for children and families What does your Families First agenda include?

Toolbox

reader reviews  What

have you been reading lately? To contribute a review, contact us at editor@bccf.ca

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother Amy Chua, Penguin Press, 2011 Amy Chua’s polemic on childrearing burst onto the scene in early 2011, and quickly became one of the most talked-about parenting books since Dr. Spock told us to “trust ourselves” way back in 1946. Chua, a Yale law professor, has raised two talented daughters, both musical prodigies, and in her book she shares both her borderline obsessive parenting techniques, and her disdain for what she sees as our mainstream tolerance of mediocrity. Her parenting approach is unabashedly aggressive, but what I find most compelling (and disturbing) is not the book itself, but rather the reactions that the book has generated. As a professional engaged in parent education I find it is often hard to know how to respond when parents want to talk about the latest media firestorm over parenting, whether it’s tiger mothering, Billy Ray Cyrus’s fathering mistakes, or Brad and Angelina’s seemingly endless family. Whatever the issue – a celebrity parent meltdown or a controversial book – the resulting commentary in the media always seems to end up pitting one sort of parent against another. Instead of promoting discussion about a complex philosophical issue which I yearn to engage in – how best to parent our children in a rapidly changing, often bewildering world – it tends to end up with everyone being asked to take a side, for or against the hot button issue of the day. And as parent educators, we get asked, over 

and over again, whose side are we on? Does the Tiger Mother have the secrets to parenting, or is the “North American” way better? In a recent Uncommon Sense column in Today’s Parent magazine, parenting writer John Hoffman shared his thoughts about the current media storm surrounding US author Amy Chua and her book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. Hoffman offered a refreshing perspective on the whole controversy, one which family support practitioners need to pay attention to. Hoffman’s take on this issue? That there isn’t one single right way to parent! To which I say, thank you. I am tired of a public discourse on parenting that is limited to nonstop bickering about which parenting technique offers the one true path to happy, successful children. Let’s stop the “who is right” and “who is wrong” discussion in its tracks, and send the debate in a better direction, one that recognizes that parents are unique individuals, as are children, and that approaches which work in one family may not be right for another. This doesn’t mean that we can never take a position. As parent educators we can’t endorse parenting techniques we view as harmful, and it is important to stand up and oppose parenting advice we think is dangerous or wrongheaded. But let’s try to move the debate into the territory which John takes it to. His comments avoid condemning Amy Chua and her parenting approach but he does make it clear he disagrees with her advice. He doesn’t say that he has all the answers about how to

parent, but he points out, in a respectful way, that she doesn’t either. The question I’m left with is: How? How do we take the currently polarized debate about parenting in a more nuanced direction which advances our collective thinking about parenting? And I’d like to know – when parents ask where you stand on the latest hot button issue, how do you answer in a professional way that respects differing viewpoints? As parenting continues to grow into a full-blown cultural obsession, these are issues that parenting educators need to find answers for. Dales is the Director of Programs at the BC Council for Families. Her MA thesis was on Close relationship paths: the role of equity and maintenance in satisfaction for female siblings and friends. She is now considering writing a PhD thesis on “Right and Wrong Ways to Parent” ☺ This article is adapted from her HealthyFamilies blog post that appeared February 28, 2011.  Jennifer

what have you been reading lately? If you’d like to share your impressions, contact editor@bccf.ca to find out about submitting a reader review.

Summer 2011 Family Connections 5

Connections

Profile: Shirley Sterlinger Member, Donor, Past President, Family Champion

Shirley Sterlinger has a long history with the BC Council for Families. From her early days as a public health nurse delivering the Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Program, through her nomination in 2000 to the Board of Directors and her tenure as President from 2001–2003, to her years of stalwart support of the organization through monthly giving, Shirley has been a passionate advocate for the BC Council for Families, and for vulnerable families in our province. Beth Hutchinson, the Provincial Coordinator for the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program®, recalls that during her time as President, Shirley made a point of getting to know every staff member: “Shirley was tremendously interested, friendly and encouraging to all the staff. One of the biggest contributions she made, was to remind us all – frequently – of the real significance of our work. Shirley’s belief in the value of prevention and the difference that it makes in families was so supportive, and so inspiring.” Now retired, but still very active in her community on Vancouver Island, Shirley found time recently to talk to Family Connections about her lifelong passion 6 Family Connections Summer 2011

for families and about her commitment to supporting the work of the BC Council for Families. family connections: How did you first become involved with the BC Council for Families? shirley sterlinger: I used the resources and materials developed by the Council daily in my work as a Public Health Nurse to assist families, especially new parents, to understand their experience, and the developmental needs and stages of their children. Then in the 1990s I got involved with the Council in a more direct way when I became a Nobody’s Perfect facilitator and the Registered Nurses Association of BC liaison to the Council. fc: What prompted you to join the Board of Directors? ss: I was honoured to be nominated to the Board by Heather Clarke, who was finishing her term as a Board Member. Heather was familiar with my work and recognised my passion for families as the basis of a healthy society. This passion was developed through the influence of having grown up in a large agrarian family and through many years of working with families as a public health nurse.

fc: Can you tell us more about how your life experiences led to the development of your interest in families? ss: My mother was the third in a family of nine, which meant I grew up in the midst of a huge extended family. Our family was all over Saskatchewan, but there were always family members in and out of our house. I was the oldest of thirty-eight cousins! So when I was a teenager, and starting to look around me and figure out how people made decisions and organized their lives, I was able to draw on the examples of so many aunts and uncles all around me. And my family was active within the community and in the church, so I also had those supports around me. Then as a public health nurse and today as a community volunteer I worked with many families who don’t have those networks of support to sustain them. That’s where preventative programs and services can really make such a difference. In the Nobody’s Perfect program I witnessed people with the most amazing challenges in their lives turn things around for themselves and their children. fc: What are some of the challenges that families in your community are facing today?

…I worked with many families who don’t have those networks of support to sustain them. That’s where preventative programs and services can really make such a difference.

ss: As a volunteer in my community I see that poverty, affordable housing, access to affordable childcare, transportation to services, supports and access to programs for families to re-train or go back to school are still issues that we need to address. fc: What do you think families in BC today need most? ss: Intervention in all of the above areas as well as a focus on prevention and access to early intervention programs is critical. Glenn Hope, the Executive Director for the Council, said it all very succinctly in his open letter to Christy Clark. We have had reams of research for years indicating this is the route to go, so let’s do it! fc: And what do you think is most important for the Council to focus on in the years ahead? ss: Families and parenting just aren’t on the agenda of governments today. Not federally, and not provincially. Particularly not vulnerable families. The trend to less government just doesn’t serve vulnerable families. So I think it’s particularly important to have a strong voice advocating for the nurturing and support that families need. The Council needs to continue its focus

on supporting family-serving agencies with materials and support and training, and needs to continue to disseminate research in a way that families and family-serving professionals can really use. The Council’s recent innovations – the blog, the e-newsletter, the videos and podcasts, have been tremendously useful for me as a way to keep up to date with what’s going on in the sector. fc: Shirley, you’re the most significant individual donor to the BC Council for Families. What would you say to someone who’s considering donating to the Council? ss: The dedicated work the Council does is unbelievable. If the Council is to fully realize it’s potential, it is essential to become independent of government funding. It’s the future. Every non-profit is facing funding challenges right now, and the support of committed individuals is absolutely critical. Because of my passion for families, this is the best use of my money. A small amount each month can really add up over time and make a significant contribution to the work of the Council. This is my choice.

HealthyFamilies! Family news you need to know. • New research • Policies and programs • Reports and statistics • Trainings and professional development • Events and updates from the BC Council for Families Free! Delivered to your desktop every Monday morning. Subscribe online: www.bccf.ca Summer 2011 Family Connections 7

Focus on 2010

annual report:

Sharing Our Stories. Shaping Our Future. Stories … State of the Heart Technology As long as there have been families, there have been stories. Humans have been telling stories to each other for countless generations – as a way of bringing groups and communities together, to forge social bonds, and to pass down from one generation to the next important cultural, sociological, and moral teachings.

ensure they continue to grow and thrive. The path from 1977 to now hasn’t always been smooth. Along the way we’ve faced our share of challenges and leapt many hurdles. Some challenges are persistent: there’s never enough time, and not nearly enough money to accomplish all that we want to do for families in BC. But one item we’re never short on: passion for families.

they hope for in the future. Then, we challenge ourselves to put that learning to use for children and parents. Through every program, in every community, with each new project and initiative, we’re asking families how we can support them to be healthy, happy, strong and resilient. With your help, we can give every family story in BC a happy ending.

Listening to Families… Every family has a unique story. That’s why listening to families is so important. We’re constantly learning from families all across BC: about the ways they’re changing and growing; about what they need; and what

…And Sharing their Stories We’re committed to sharing what we learn about families with other professionals. This year, we’ve brought our parenting programs and initiatives to community agencies in towns and cities in every corner of BC.

What’s our story? We’re glad you asked! The BC Council for Families was founded in 1977 on the belief that every family deserves support. Ever since, we’ve been working to connect families with the services, the resources, and the community supports that

building parenting strengths. nobody’s perfect parenting program. Diane Video Participant: Nobody’s Perfect Program Families Speak Q Why did you decide to join a Nobody’s Perfect parenting group, and how did it change your relationship with your children? A Nobody’s Perfect was really worthwhile for me. I was having a real struggle as a parent, feeling very conflicted and that my time was really split. The issue that I brought to the Nobody’s Perfect group was being really concerned that I was losing my temper, and getting really, really angry at my children. One thing they talked about at Nobody’s Perfect that really helped was that when you become angry like that, you’re no longer thinking with the rational part of your brain. You need to be aware of where you’re at emotionally, and what your triggers are, so that 8 Family Connections Summer 2011

you can not get to that place where you’re, you know, screaming and crying in a corner. I found that really helpful. And it was so nice to hear from and talk with other parents and find out that they’re dealing with the same things. Everybody was sharing experiences, not giving advice, which is nice because what works in one home isn’t necessarily going to work in another family. Nobody’s Perfect is a parenting education and support program where parents can safely share their experiences and concerns and receive the support of other parents – in addition to the advice and resources brought by two skilled and knowledgeable facilitators.

We’ve helped family serving professionals to gain the knowledge and the practical skills they need to support BC’s parents and children. Our conferences, workshops and presentations have helped those working in family services to upgrade their skills, bringing them new insights, new research, and fresh inspiration to their work supporting vulnerable families across our province. We’re strengthening our ability to tell our stories in new media: sharing resources, support and information for family service professionals, and for families, online. Through our non-profit YouTube channel, on Facebook and Twitter, through our monthly podcast series Voices of Family, and via our HealthyFamilies newsletter and blog, we’re reaching new audiences every day – telling our story, and hearing theirs. In the months and years ahead, we plan to strengthen our ability to connect with our audiences through video and to expand our reach to families and professionals through increased use of social media and online communities of practice. New Research / New Projects Serving Young Parents: Going Above and Beyond – October 2010 In the summer and fall of 2010, we surveyed Young Parent Programs around BC to find out what additional services and resources they’re providing for our province’s vulnerable teen parents and their children. The results will open your eyes – both to the extent of the challenges and the extreme need facing teen parents, and to the depth of commitment and caring of the staff at Young Parent Programs, who do their utmost to fill those needs.

helping young mothers find a future. the bc alliance for young parents. Reesa Peterson Young Parent at New Beginnings, Abbotsford Q Can you share with us some of the challenges that you experience in your life as a young mom and a student? A Oh, there are so many! Just getting up and ready for school every morning is huge – getting my son ready, making sure we have enough diapers, getting everything ready and making it to school on time. Then there’s doing schoolwork, and actually getting decent grades. And financial issues are pretty intense when you’re a young parent. I got pregnant when I was 15, so being a teenager wasn’t an option anymore, I had to be a mom. I lost all my friends, so having the support I get here at New Beginnings is amazing. Q How does being part of a Young Parent Program help with those challenges? A With the program, I don’t feel as marginalized in the community as a teen mom. Here, we’re all in the same boat, and we can lean on each other. And the support of the staff and the daycare staff is so amazing.

Q What’s changed in your life because of being in a Young Parent Program? A This year, knowing that I get to graduate, I have been so excited for life, and having a future! My son is almost two, so just seeing him grow, and knowing that this program has bettered me not only as a person but also as a mother, has been great. I’m really excited to be getting on with life, and knowing that now I have a career ahead of me and a future. In February 2011, Reesa, along with other parents, teachers and staff at the New Beginnings Program in Abbotsford BC, participated in the filming of a video about the services and supports that Young Parent Programs provide to parenting teens in BC. Funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the video is scheduled for release in the fall of 2011. Watch for it on our YouTube channel, and online at www.bccf.ca.

Summer 2011 Family Connections 9

Focus on 2010

listening to the voices of youth. left 2 live suicide postvention documentary. Jennifer White School of Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria

In December 2010, the BC Council for Families released When You Are Left 2 Live, a documentary exploration of the unique grieving and healing process of young people. Raw, powerful and heartfelt, Left 2 Live follows the stories of five BC youth who tragically lost loved ones to suicide. Through interview and discussion, the film traces their pathways through grief, to recovery and acceptance of loss. Developed by the BC Council for Families in collaboration with the University of Victoria’s School of Child and Youth Care, the Left 2 Live video and accompanying Facilitator’s Guide are a valuable tool for practitioners working with youth in crisis. Dr. Jennifer White, a respected Canadian expert in the field of youth suicide prevention, has been involved in the development of the project from its inception. Q You have a tremendous amount of experience in the field of youth suicide prevention and postvention. When you watched the Left 2 Live video for the first time, was there anything new to discover? Anything that surprised you? A Let me say how refreshing a project this is. It’s rare that we hear the voices of young people themselves, talking about

Youth Voices: When You’re Left 2 Live – January 2011 Working in partnership with the University of Victoria, the Council created this emotionally powerful documentary exploring the grieving process among youth who have lost a loved one to suicide. Developed as an educational tool for professionals working with youth bereaved by suicide, the video and accompanying workbook help youth mental health workers, crisis counselors, and families to look at this uniquely sensitive subject 10 Family Connections Summer 2011

how they’ve been affected by the loss of a loved one to suicide. Most of the materials that have been developed in the field of postvention typically feature the voices of adults and experts talking about what we should do with youth. So it’s refreshing to hear the wisdom of young people telling us what were the things that helped them, and what were the things that didn’t help them. I was surprised by the consistency across the stories – the things that these young people noted as helpful or not helpful. I was very struck by the fact that they all made fun of the typical counseling professional who says “how are you feeling?” with such seriousness. They all said that this was exactly what they didn’t want from professionals, that they didn’t want prying and they didn’t want to feel that they had to divulge everything they were feeling. Another thing I was struck by was how much solace they took from being with people their own age. They said there was a heaviness about being with adults, and they wanted to be outside that. The clarity with which they were able to describe their experiences, and the playful, irreverent, affectionate way they speak about the person who died will likely surprise many viewers. And I loved that about this video. The youth in this film

honour the people who died in a way that is in keeping with that person’s character. For instance, one young person in the film talks about putting cigarettes into their friend’s casket at the funeral, and money to pay back debts. Some people might find that disrespectful behaviour, but the way that I read it was that it was consistent with their relationship with him, and a way of honouring the character of the person they had known and loved. These stories show us as adults and as people in the youth serving profession the ways that we need to respect and honour what young people are trying to do when they’ve been faced with a loss like this. They’re trying to make sense of it themselves and part of what I saw them doing was trying to stay connected to their friends.

through the eyes of young people who have experienced tremendous loss.

complex issues of separation and divorce and to supporting children’s adjustment through this often difficult family transition. A series of online resources and further workshops are planned for 2011/12.

Co-Parenting Through Separation and Divorce: Practical Skills for Professionals Working with Families – April 2010 At this day-long interactive workshop led by family life educator Sandy Shuler, based on her popular parenting program Effective Co-Parenting: Putting Kids First, Vancouverarea family professionals learned the key elements to helping families manage the

Listen to Dr. White, speaking with Program Director Jennifer Dales about the unique challenges of supporting youth mental health, as part of our Voices of Family series of monthly podcast interviews. Find it online in our Learning Network: www. bccf.ca/professionals/learning_network. This interview first appeared in Family Connections, vol. 14 issue 4

Working Together: Successful Approaches to Parent Education and Support – March 2011 Parent educators in Vancouver and Kelowna had the opportunity this March to take part in full-day workshops with Betsy Mann of the Canadian Association of Family

Resource Programs. Betsy, a researcher, parent educator, and author of What Works for Whom in Parenting Education, shared evidence-based tips on attracting, retaining and engaging parents of young children in learning situations.

refugee families. In BC, these families are now better supported, thanks to specialized training, mentoring and multi-language resources for My Tween and Me program leaders and settlement workers. Funding from the Vancouver Foundation made this work possible.

My Tween and Me for Immigrant and Refugee Families Cultural and language barriers can present barriers to participation for immigrant and

Integrated Strategies for Home Visiting – August 2010 – Ongoing New and experienced home visitors from around BC have had the opportunity to

making the most of middle childhood. my tween and me. Ana Maria Tsougrianis Aboriginal Child and Family Services

Q Why did you feel you needed to become listen more to her son, and that he had trained in My Tween and Me? begun confiding in her much more. They A I work with many parents with children have better communication now, and aged 7–12, and it’s really important to be they’re able to agree on times for video able to address their issues. I’ve seen some games and times for homework. very angry children, some children with very low self-esteem. Those children can The My Tween and Me parenting program get involved in high-risk behaviours, unless strengthens the confidence and ability of you can find a way to help the family. parents to positively influence their tweens. Developed by the BC Council for Families, Q How has the My Tween and Me program with funding from Health Canada’s Drug made a difference in your work? Prevention Strategy, the program helps parents A it’s enabled me to provide parents with with children age 7–12 strengthen their family different skills and strategies to use with relationships to prevent high-risk behaviour their pre-teens. With more effective during the tween years – and later on. ways of parenting and disciplining, and My Tween and Me incorporates current with ideas for engaging better with their research on the key developmental milestones children. The result is happier parents, of children ages 7–12, along with practical happy children, and better families! communication skills for parents. Q What are some of the changes that you’ve seen in families? A One family who took the program was having a lot of difficulty getting their son to do his homework. He wanted to spend his time playing video games, and it was causing a lot of conflict in the home. His mother told me how she was always scolding her son, always arguing with him. After she took part in the program, she came to tell me how she had started to

Ana Maria Tsougrianis, a parent educator with Aboriginal Child and Family Services, has been delivering My Tween and Me to families for over two years. She participated in the making of video a about My Tween and Me. Catch it on our Youtube channel, or at www.bccf.ca.

benefit from this newly updated and revised training from Great Kids Inc. With increased interactivity and now incorporating video, the training brings paraprofessional home visitors to a new level of skills and competencies. The BC Council for Families is the only provincial body offering ongoing training in the internationally acclaimed Great Kids Inc. model for BC’s home visitors. Young Families Moving Forward – October 2010 Workers from Young Parent Programs across BC attended this conference in Vancouver last October. Participants honed their skills in working with young children with challenging behaviours, explored the mental health needs of young people, networked and shared their successes and challenges. Reaching Out Social Media – social media is about connecting. It enables us to share information, to advocate, and to access people previously beyond our reach. Through Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, we’re connecting with families from across BC, across Canada, and around the world. Healthy Families – Each week in 2010, our network of over 3500 trained professionals, researchers, advocates and policy makers received our enewsletter, HealthyFamilies, bringing them news, issues and research about family living in BC. Distinguished Service to Families – Recognizing BC’s many hardworking Family Champions, each year the Council honours one individual and one organization who have demonstrated leadership in enhancing family living in our province. In 2010 we awarded the Distinguished Service to Families award to Dana Brynelsen, and to F.O.R.C.E. Society for Kids Mental Health. Contests and Activities – By celebrating National Family Week (October 4 – 11) and encouraging communities and families to get involved, we’re putting the focus back on family in BC. Our online family story competition, Family Writes, got family members across BC thinking about what their family means to them. Their humorous and heartwarming tales are collected in the Family Writes Commemorative Storybook, available through our online bookstore.

Summer 2011 Family Connections 11

Focus on 2010

1,463 2,965

175

parents found a parenting program in their community using bccf.ca’s online database of upcoming programs.

agencies and organizations throughout Canada ordered resources through our online bookstore.

29,829

resources were distributed to agencies and organizations across Canada.

parents took a Nobody’s Perfect parenting program last year.

136

new facilitators were trained to deliver the Nobody’s Perfect Parenting program.

Nobody’s Perfect facilitators attended regional meetings in Penticton and Vancouver.

Our website was visited by visitors originating in 136 countries (including 46 visitors from South Africa, 362

1,641

from Britain, 2801 from the US,

42,917

and 3 from Fiji)

downloads of Voices of Families podcast interviews with family service experts.

1,451

regular Healthy Families blog readers.

unique site visitors accessed information, research, and resources from our website, www.bccf.ca in 2010.

98 HealthyFamilies blog postings uploaded.

participants attended the one-day workshop Co-Parenting Through Separation and Divorce: Practical Skills for Professionals Working with Families.

Distinguished Service to Families awards presented, to F.O.R.C.E. and to Dana Brynelson. 12 Family Connections Summer 2011

conference presentations, workshops and speaking engagements delivered by Council staff.

youth mental health documentary was released: Left 2 Live

2,354

readers accessed Family Connections magazine online.

340

copies of Family Connections magazine were delivered to BC MLAs and government decision makers last year.

100

1,806

hours of Nobody’s Perfect parenting programs were delivered throughout the province last year. (129 7-week sessions of 2 hours)

people attended the annual BC Alliance for Young Parents Conference.

respondents answered our online survey about the extra supports provided by BC’s Young Parent Programs to teen parents. (survey

92%

of post-conference survey respondents say they plan to attend the conference again.

results published online: Going Above and Beyond)

Numbers tell a Story

These numbers speak for themselves. They say every picture is worth a thousand words; each number here represents a thousand hours of dedication, commitment, and hard work. They tell the story of a diverse, energetic organization working to promote, strengthen and support services for families.

My Tween and Me has leaders in 33 communities in BC.

They can’t tell the whole story, of course. They can’t show you the connections forged, the relationships built, the knowledge passed on, the experiences shared, or the laughter enjoyed along the way. But they are a testament to our efforts, and to our impact. It’s all (almost!) in the numbers.

2,100

families participated in a My Tween and Me parenting program.

My Tween and Me has been delivered in 8 languages (Korean, Spanish, Farsi, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, Punjabi)

112

new family serving workers joined the Home Visitor community of practice. (a growth rate of over 50%)

1,485

families

(plus over 3000 children)

168

new Parent-Child Mother Goose® teachers received training in 2010.

were served by Home Visitors trained by the BC Council for Families.

BC Home Visitors were trained to deliver the Growing Great Kids curriculum in their communities.

46% of these families were Aboriginal.

Summer 2011 Family Connections 13

Message from the President

In this Annual Report you’ll read how the BC Council for Families – our staff, Board of Directors, volunteers and members – has worked together this year to lay a strong foundation for the future. Through our active advocacy for preventative programs and services for families, through our pursuit of innovation in education and training delivery, our efforts to raise awareness of the issues facing today’s families, and our support of ongoing research and development of promising practices to improve outcomes for children and families, we’re working hard to strengthen and support the families of BC. It is my privilege, on behalf of all the members of the Board of Directors, to thank the staff of the Council for their dedication, their efforts and input in the past year. And as President, I would like to commend my fellow Board Members, who have committed so many hours of work and shared so generously of their creativity, ideas, and thoughts for the growth and development of the BC Council for Families. I know I speak for all the staff and Board Members when I say that we are passionate about creating a positive future for families in BC. Throughout the past year, a key focus for the Board of Directors has been ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of the Council. As a first positive step forward, the Board championed the creation of a new staff position at the Council: Resource Development. Under the direction of Douglas Dunn, the organization has now embarked upon a strategic and proactive approach to fundraising and resource development. Many challenges lie ahead, but we are confident in the value of the work we do, and in the resilience and strength of families. As always, we are particularly grateful for the encouragement and support of our many loyal members and donors. Especially in these times of economic challenge, your support can truly make a difference in the lives of families all across British Columbia. Thank you for being part of our ongoing efforts to build “Healthy Families in a Healthy Society.”

Sylvia Tremblay President of the Board of Directors BC Council for Families

14 Family Connections Summer 2011

Message from the Executive Director

As the BC Council for Families enters its 35th year, we continue our journey toward building “Healthy Families in a Healthy Society.” We continue the work of building a strong, resilient, sustainable organization, one that will be here to strengthen and support the families and family-serving professionals of BC for another 35 years. We have a proud history of accomplishment behind us, and in the year just ended we have continued to advocate for families, to educate and inform family support workers, to grow our networks, to strengthen our trainings and professional development workshops, to build partnerships within our sector and beyond. Most of all, we continue to remember and live by our slogan, “We ❤ Families.” Cherishing the love, respect and warmth that is at the core of family relationships is profoundly important to all of us at the BC Council for Families. In the pages of this Annual Report you will hear stories of some of the families strengthened and supported through the work of the BC Council for Families: families whose lives have been touched by a front-line support worker who received their training here; parents who have deepened their relationship with their children thanks to participation in a program we developed and coordinate; family members who benefited from resources and information we provide. None of these stories would have been possible without the dedication, commitment, and daily beyond-the-call-of-duty efforts of the staff of the BC Council for Families. Their commitment to our communities and our families inspires me each and every day. This year, we continued to implement our strategic plan, and to continuously review, reassess and refine our targets and actions, to ensure that we remain on target and focused on achieving our core priorities. The BC Council for Families is a small, creative, flexible organization that makes a big impact. Our trainings, workshops, resources and professional development opportunities support BC’s family service professionals in the life-long learning that ensures their success and benefits families in every community in our province. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of our donors. Your support gives us the opportunity to impact the lives of children, youth, parents and family members in communities all across BC. Thank you for your continued support of our mission and vision: “Healthy Families in a Healthy Society.” Here’s to another great year ahead, full of challenge, opportunity, hard work and accomplishment. Because families matter.

Glenn Hope Executive Director BC Council for Families

Summer 2011 Family Connections 15

Auditorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report

To the members of The British Columbia Council for Families: We have audited the statement of financial position of The British Columbia Council for Families as at March 31, 2011 and the statements of operations, changes in fund balances for the year then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Society's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and perform an audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. In our opinion, these financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Society as at March 31, 2011 and the results of its operations and the changes in fund balances for the year then ended. As required by the Societies Act of British Columbia we report that, in our opinion, these principles have been applied on a basis consistent with that of the preceding year.

Certified General Accountants Vancouver, BC May 9, 2011

16â&#x20AC;&#x192; Family Connectionsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Summer 2011

Statement of Operations March 31, 2011

Restricted Funds (Schedule 1)

Capital Asset Fund

2011

2010

151,875 50,000 - 26,955 3,813 589 15,851 5,247 6,033 260,363

327,300 50,000 78,269 - - 82,461 - - - 538,030

- - - - - - - - - -

479,175 100,000 78,269 26,955 3,813 83,050 15,851 5,247 6,033 798,393

277,300 67,000 248,538 35,152 4,663 81,684 14,959 3,665 6,321 739,282

32,928 1,473 - 146 1,598 - 13,559 - 49,704 210,659

124,924 19,543 112,724 978 10,081 23,531 461,311 15,176 768,268 (230,238)

5,887 - - - - - - - 5,887 (5,887)

163,739 21,016 112,724 1,124 11,679 23,531 474,870 15,176 823,859 (25,466)

163,754 37,653 73,496 1,782 23,186 37,607 668,728 24,533 1,030,739 (291,457)

General Fund

Revenues Grants Government of British Columbia (Note 5) $ Other grants (Note 6) Deferred contributions recognized Publications Membership fees Workshop fees Interest Donations Other $ Expenditures Administration costs (Note 7) Board, general and committee meetings Consulting and training Memberships and subscriptions Program/project costs Resource development and distribution Salaries and employee benefits Travel, conferences and meetings Excess (Deficiency) of Revenues over Expenses $ The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Statement of Changes In Fund Balances March 31, 2011

General Fund Restricted Funds

Balance, Beginning of Year $ Prior Period Adjustment (Note 8) Restated Balance Excess (Deficiency) of Revenues over Expenses Inter-fund Transfers (Note 9) Balance, End of Year $

Capital Asset Fund

2011

2010

231,890 - 231,890

508,379 - 508,379

66,635 - 66,635

806,904 - 806,904

1,456,891 358,532 1,098,361

210,659 (327,906) 114,643

(230,238) 322,678 600,819

(5,887) 5,228 65,976

(25,466) - 781,438

(291,457) 806,904

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Summer 2011â&#x20AC;&#x192; Family Connectionsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 17

Statement of Financial Position March 31, 2011

General Fund Restricted Funds

Assets Current Cash and cash equivalents $ Accounts receivable Prepaid expenses Capital Assets (Note 10) $ Liabilities Current Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (Note 11) $ Childcare enhancement fund (Note 12) Deferred Contributions (Note 13) Fund Balances Unrestricted Restricted (Schedule 1) Invested in Capital Assets $

Capital Asset Fund

2011

2010

121,499 16,983 23,920 162,402 - 162,402

703,279 - - 703,279 - 703,279

- - - - 65,976 65,976

824,778 16,983 23,920 865,681 65,976 931,657

1,040,948 13,697 27,006 1,081,651 66,634 1,148,285

47,759 - 47,759 - 47,759

- 735 735 101,725 102,460

- - - - -

47,759 735 48,494 101,725 150,219

48,777 152,610 201,387 139,994 341,381

114,643 - - 114,643 162,402

- 600,819 - 600,819 703,279

- - 65,976 65,976 65,976

114,643 600,819 65,976 781,438 931,657

231,890 508,379 66,635 806,904 1,148,285

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Sylvia Tremblay, President

18â&#x20AC;&#x192; Family Connectionsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Summer 2011

Gale Stewart, Vice President

Notes to Financial Statements

1. Purpose of the Organization The British Columbia Council for Families (the "Society") is a provincial organization with the mission of leadership through education, training, advocacy and research for the healthy development of families. The Society is incorporated under the Society Act of British Columbia and is registered as a charitable organization under the Income Tax Act. 2. Significant Accounting Policies These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the Canadian generally accepted accounting principles, which include the following significant policies: Fund Accounting The Society follows the deferred contribution method of accounting for contributions. Under the deferred contribution method, restricted contributions are deferred and recognized as revenue in the year the expenses are incurred. Cash and Short-term Investments Consists of cash on hand and short-term investments with a term to maturity of less than one year. Capital Assets Purchased capital assets are recorded at cost. Contributed capital assets are recorded at fair value at the date of contribution. Amortization is provided on a straight-line basis over 3 years. Revenue Recognition • Restricted contributions are recognized as revenue of the appropriate fund in the year in which the related expenses are incurred. • Publication revenues are recorded on the accrual basis and included as revenue when publications are shipped. • Membership fees are recorded as revenue in the year of receipt. • Workshop fees are recognized as revenue of the appropriate fund in the year in which the related expenses are incurred. Unrestricted investment income is recognized as revenue when earned. Publications All costs of publications are charged to expenditures in the year in which they are incurred. 3. Financial Instruments Fair Value The carrying amount of cash and short-term investments, accounts receivable and liabilities approximate their fair value because of the short-term nature of these items. Credit Risk The Society's financial assets that are exposed to credit risk are cash, short term investments and accounts receivable. Credit risk associated with cash and short term investments is minimized substantially by ensuring that these assets are invested in term deposits and GICs.

Summer 2011 Family Connections 19

Notes to Financial Statements

Foreign Currency Risk The Society is not exposed to foreign currency risk because it does not hold any assets or liabilities in foreign currency. Interest Rate Risk The Society is not exposed to interest rate risk because its liabilities are non-interest bearing.

4. Summary of Funds The General Fund: • Accounts for the regular activities of the Society that have, as their goal, the healthy development of individuals, families and communities in British Columbia. Included in this Fund is the support provided to parents or practitioners around the province, such as the Healthy Families e-newsletter, quarterly magazine, website and enhancement of training and publication resources. • Promotional Events have several objectives: 1) to highlight the importance of families; 2) to provide opportunities to focus on some of the important initiatives happening within our province; and 3) to promote the importance of all sectors in caring about and investing in children, youth and families. Several promotional events are undertaken annually, such as National Family Week. Communication tools, such as the Society’s magazine Family Connections and e-newsletters were used to highlight the importance of families. The Restricted Funds: • The Home Visitor Training project, funded by a grant by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, aims to improve access to home visitor training. • The Parent Material Translations Project (Autism Spectrum Disorder) was established for the purpose of supporting the translation of specific parent resources relating to programs and services for children and youth with special needs. With funding provided by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Society will provide resources available in parents’ first language as these materials are developed and provided for translation to the Society over subsequent years. • Founded under the umbrella of the Society and a grant by the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Father Involvement Network of British Columbia is a network of individuals and organizations promoting and supporting the positive involvement of fathers. • The Society received a grant from the Ministry of Children and Family Development for the Suicide Education and Prevention program to pro-actively develop, over a three year period, a response to youth suicide and development related resources through a Hope and Healing grant. • In October 2002 the Society began the Provincial Coordination of the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program. This program is a group experience for parents and their babies or young children, focusing on the pleasure and power of using rhymes, songs and stories. The Society provides resources, support and networking opportunities to facilitators of this program throughout British Columbia. Various funders contribute towards this coordination. • The Society is developing a province wide model of parenting education through the My Tween and Me Program to support people parenting 7-12 year old children. The program focuses on prevention of pre-teen risky behaviour often linked with alcohol and drug use. This initiative was funded by Health Canada’s Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund and the United Way of the Lower Mainland. • The BC Alliance for Young Parents is an initiative overseen by the Society funded by a grant received from the Ministry of Children and Family Development. The objectives of the initiative are to support young parent programs and services in BC through a yearly conference, networking opportunities and advocacy activities.

20 Family Connections Summer 2011

• The Society coordinates training for the Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Program through a contract with the Provincial Health Services Authority. Additionally, the Society provides networking and professional development opportunities for trained program facilitators and supports the program by providing the books used by parents who participate in the program. • The Society is a principal partner in a National Evaluation of Nobody’s Perfect. This three-year initiative funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada through the Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs is focused on two goals: to identify best practices in parent education programs and to assess the effectiveness of the Nobody’s Perfect Parenting Program on parenting practices. • The Society has developed additional training and support for Nobody’s Perfect Program facilitators to equip them to work with parents who may have challenges participating in parenting education. The Capital Asset Fund: • Reports the assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses related to the Society’s capital assets.

5. Government of British Columbia Provincial Health Services Authority $ Ministry of Children and Family Development $

2011 157,300 321,875 479,175

2010 157,300 120,000 277,300

2011 50,000 - - 50,000 100,000

2010 50,000 15,000 2,000 67,000

2011 5,887 2,834 630 3,513 5,167 422 13,607 19,527 10,891 93,985 - 2,488 4,788 163,739

2010 6,170 3,850 2,020 6,560 1,023 21,511 11,218 8,713 88,751 5,315 3,053 5,570 163,754

6. Other Grants The United Way of the Lower Mainland $ CanWest Global Foundation Vancouver Odd Fellows Vancouver Foundation $

7. Administration Costs Amortization $ Bank charges Computer maintenance Insurance Fundraising Miscellaneous Office supplies and equipment repairs Publications Professional fees Rent Research Promotion Telephone $

Summer 2011 Family Connections 21

Notes to Financial Statements

8. Change in Fund Accounting Policy For the 2009/2010 and subsequent fiscal years, the Board of Directors had voted in favour of a change in its fund accounting policy from the Restricted Fund method to the Deferred Fund method. The Board feels this provides more relevant information as the Deferred Fund method allows restricted contributions to be deferred and recognized as revenue in the year expenses are incurred. This change in policy was applied retroactively. The following amounts changed as a result of this retroactive application.

Statement of Operations Deferred contributions recognized $ Statement of Financial Position Deferred contributions

2011 -

2010 248,538

139,994

9. Inter-fund Transfers During the year transfers were made from the General Fund to the following individual funds: Restricted Funds Home Visiting $ Autism Spectrum Disorder Father Involvement Network of BC Suicide Education and Prevention Parent-Child Mother Goose My Tween and Me Young Parent Program Nobody's Perfect Evaluation for Nobody's Perfect Capital Asset Fund Acquisition of capital assets $

2011

2010

30,216 133 57,864 9,612 74,574 87,142 34,491 24,468 4,176 322,678

5,228 327,906

22,331 22,331

2011 41,892 57,467 99,359 33,385 65,976

2010 41,892 52,239 94,131 27,497 66,634

10. Capital Assets Equipment $ Website Accumulated amortization Net book value $

22â&#x20AC;&#x192; Family Connectionsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Summer 2011

11. Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities Accounts payable - trade $ Accrued liabilities Due to government agencies $

2011 13,290 33,818 651 47,759

2010 20,587 24,421 3,769 48,777

12. Child Enhancement Fund During the 2007 fiscal year, the Society received funding on a one-time only basis for $20,000,000 from the Ministry of Children and Family Development. The purpose of this funding was to establish and maintain a Child Care Quality Transitional Fund to assist funded child care providers with overall operation and contribute to the professional development of child care providers. To date $19,847,390 has been paid out with $735 to be paid out in the 2011-2012 fiscal year. $151,875 of undistributed funds at March 31, 2011 were allocated to the Society's operating fund as unrestricted revenues, as approved by the Ministry of Children and Family Development. 13. Deferred Contributions Deferred contributions represent funding externally restricted for project expenses to be incurred in future periods. Changes in the deferred contribution balances are: Balance at beginning of year $ Add: government grants Amount recognized as revenue Balance at end of year $

2011 139,994 40,000 (78,269) 101,725

2010 358,532 30,000 (248,538) 139,994

14. Statement of Cash Flow A statement of cash flow has not been provided as it would not provide any additional useful information. 15. Comparative Figures Certain 2010 comparative figures have been reclassified to conform with the current year's presentation.

Summer 2011â&#x20AC;&#x192; Family Connectionsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; 23

Schedule 1: Restricted Funds

Home Visiting

Revenues Grants Government of the Province of B.C. $ Other grants Deferred contributions recognized Workshops Expenditures Administration Board, general and committee meetings Consulting Memberships and subscriptions Program/Project costs Resource development and distribution Wages Travel Excess (Deficiency) of Revenues Over Expeditures Fund Balances, Beginning of Year Interfund Transfers $

24â&#x20AC;&#x192; Family Connectionsâ&#x20AC;&#x192; Summer 2011

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Father Involvement Network of B.C.

Suicide Education and Prevention

Parent-Child Mother Goose

70,000 - 4,265 24,849 99,114

- - 43,967 - 43,967

- - - 1,589 1,589

- - - - -

30,000 - 10,000 1,089 41,089

20,473 1,629 18,092 163 2,072 - 84,680 2,223 129,330

5,209 - - - - 6,050 32,841 - 44,100

19,070 1,629 9,756 163 1,598 - 22,849 1,266 56,330

(62) 211 - - - - - 208 357

19,439 1,629 11,065 163 1,598 - 57,647 1,271 92,812

(30,216) - 30,216 -

(133) - 133 -

(54,741) (3,123) 57,864 -

(357) (9,255) 9,612 -

(51,724) (22,851) 74,574 -

My Tween and Me

Young Parent Program Nobody’s Perfect

Evaluation for Nobody’s Perfect Honoraria

Contingency

Total

- 50,000 10,000 15,900 75,900

70,000 - 10,037 11,269 91,306

157,300 - - 27,766 185,066

- - - - -

- $ - - - -

327,300 50,000 78,269 82,461 538,030

19,016 1,629 20,232 163 1,598 30 72,796 1,535 116,999

19,396 8,168 9,756 163 1,616 - 85,086 1,613 125,797

22,383 4,650 43,823 163 1,598 17,452 105,412 7,061 202,542

- - - - - - - - -

124,923 19,543 112,724 978 10,081 23,532 461,311 15,176 768,268

(41,099) (46,043) 87,142 -

(34,491) - 34,491 -

(17,477) (6,992) 24,468 -

- (4,176) 4,176 -

- 819 - 819

- (230,238) 600,000 508,380 - 322,677 600,000 $ 600,819

Summer 2011 Family Connections 25

Board, Staff and Supporters

Board of Directors The BC Council for Families is fortunate to have a dedicated and diverse Board of Directors. Our Board members represent communities across BC, and all share a passion for supporting and strengthening families.

Connie Canam Vancouver Coastal region

Bev Wice Interior region

Bella S. Cenezero Fraser region

Victor Zhou Vancouver Coastal region

Kathy Kendall Interior region

Paula Cayley Vancouver Coastal region

Carolyn Mui Fraser region

John Thornburn Fraser region

Administrative Staff Glenn Hope Executive Director

Communications Staff Marilee Peters Director of Communications

Program Staff Jennifer Dales Director of Programs

Lillian Qiao Director, Finance

Tina Albrecht Communications Designer

David Sheftel Program Coordinator

Douglas Dunn Director of Resource Development

George Liu Packing clerk

Ruby Banga Program Coordinator

Charities and Non-Profits United Way of the Lower Mainland Independent Order of Odd Fellows

Barbara Friesen Elaine Hooper Glenn Hope Cheryl Jeffs Kathleen Kendall Carolyn Mui Cathy Nelson Corinna Opitz Marilee Peters Lillian Qiao Sharon Robin Dianne Schwartz David Sheftel Catherine Thompson Annabelle Tully-Barr Nancy Yurkovich

Founding Members of the President’s Circle Val Anderson Fearon and Richard Blair Gail Brown Connie Canam Heather Clark Douglas Dunn Beth Hutchinson Carol Matusicky Shirley Sterlinger Sylvia Tremblay Bev Wice

Betsy Mann Carol Matusicky Jeff McLean Anita Neufeld Lynne Peters Dianne Petersen Anita Roberts Kimberley Schonert-Reichl Sandy Shuler Louise Smith Cathy Sosnowsky

Jennifer White Rola Zahr

Sylvia Tremblay, Board President Fraser region Gale Stewart Vice President Vancouver Coastal region Gail Brown Interior region

Staff Team BC Council for Families staff members bring a wide range of experience and perspectives to their work. Our staff members are dedicated to pursuing our mission and achieving our vision of “Healthy Families in a Healthy Society.”

Pilar Onatra Program Coordinator Beth Hutchinson Program Coordinator

Supporters and Funders Our work is made possible through the generosity of the many partners and supporters who share the Council’s goals and our commitment to working on behalf of families. We are deeply grateful for their support and pleased to acknowledge their role in our successes throughout 2010.

Public Funders and Foundations BC Ministry of Children and Family Development BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Health Canada Provincial Health Services Authority Vancouver Foundation

Private Foundations Tula Foundation Postmedia Foundation (Raise-A-Reader)

Private Donors Anonymous Donation in Honour of Carol Matusicky Tina Albrecht Ruby Banga Mike and Valerie Carey Paula Cayley Brian Dales Lizanne Eastwood Marilyn Fane Lorelei Faulkner-Gibson

Acknowledgements Our thanks go out to all those who contributed so generously of their time in 2010: our volunteers, student interns, and the many contributors to Family Connections magazine and to Voices of Family, our monthly podcast series.

26 Family Connections Summer 2011

Contributors Ann Asselstine Christie Baker Jean Beale Erica Day Rachel Epstein Linda Finlayson Ed Friesen Susan Gamache Cori Howard Erin MacNair

Volunteers Vicky Chandi Cara Hykawy Jocelyn Lau Dale Marthaller Malileh Noghrehkar Katie Tichauer

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this report. If we have inadvertently made any error or omission, please accept our sincere apologies, and notify the BC Council for Families development office at 604-678-8884 ext. 229.

The Final Word

standing on our own two feet Here’s a heady goal for any organization that (like many non-profits in Canada today) is largely reliant on government funding for the delivery of services: cut dependence on government grants by 50% in five years. That’s the challenge the BC Council for Families has set for itself this year. Ambitious? Definitely. Necessary? You bet your boots. Do-able? Just watch us. Here’s the story behind the lofty ambition. In the fall of 2010 the Council conducted an environmental scan, looking carefully at our client base, potential new markets for our programs and services, competition from the private, public and non-profit sectors, and the current financial health of similar organizations in Canada and beyond. Then together the Board and staff sat down to examine the results and to strategize and plan for the future of our organization. From that session emerged three insights which have guided our development of a comprehensive resource base expansion strategy over the past several months: 1 Non-profit programs and services are not immune to globalization; in fact, non-profits in Canada are already competing on an international level, whether they recognize it or not. 2 Traditional revenue streams are no longer reliable: core government funding is a thing of the past, and will not return in the foreseeable future. 3 The market for parent education services and resources is increasingly crowded, heterogeneous, and diverse, with for-profit programs becoming ever more popular as families pressed for time look for parenting support from new sources and venues.

 Douglas

Dunn, Director of Resource Development

Talk to many parent educators and non-profit professionals across Canada, and you’ll find that they likely agree with this diagnosis of the current state of the sector (although, start the conversation about what to do about it, and you’ll hear many differing opinions – and possibly some heated disagreements!). Non-profits are increasingly being told that they need to take a more businesslike approach to service delivery, and as a fund development professional with decades of experience in a variety of non-profit sectors and organizations, I couldn’t agree more. Here’s the business perspective on family support services and programs: yes, families everywhere need and deserve supports, services and resources, but until non-profits modernize their program delivery methods, and take a fresh approach to resource development, this market will remain tenuous and badly resourced. Traditionally, the funding we receive at the BC Council for Families has come predominantly from provincial and federal government sources. As government priorities and societal needs shift, as the trend to smaller government continues, the Council has realized that it needs to diversify. The Resource Development Plan we adopted in October 2010 will allow us to build sustainable revenue streams that reduce our reliance on government funding and to develop programs and initiatives based on their merits and alignment with our mission, rather than availability of funding. Oh, it will be challenging, that’s for sure. Forging an innovative path to long-term sustainability won’t be a simple task. But with the commitment and dedication of our Board and staff, and with the support of you – our members and supporters – I know we’ll succeed.

Summer 2011 Family Connections 27

At the BC Council for Families we truly love families. We’ve invested more than 30 years developing programs and resources that meet the needs of families – always focusing on prevention and proactive activities.

YES, I want to help support and strengthen families in BC!

First Name

To continue, we need your help. Now you can invest in the future of BC’s families, by becoming a founding member of the BC Council for Families’ Presidents Circle.

Last Name

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE DONORS  Family Philanthropist ($25,000 or more)  Sustainer ($250 or more)  Family Champion ($5,000 or more)  Supporter ($100 or more)  Family Visionary ($2,500 or more)  Contributor ($25 or more)  Family Benefactor ($1,000 or more)  Family Advocate ($500 or more)  Other $

Address

Amount $

I wish to be publicly acknowledged for my gift  YES  NO  Yes, please send me information on leaving an estate gift to the Council

 VISA

 MasterCard

Name on Credit Card Card number Expiry Date

 Cheque or money order enclosed

City

Province

Telephone

Fax

Postal Code

All donations to the BC Council for Families are tax-deductible. Federal Registered Charity #11921 7180 RP 0001 Return to: BC Council for Families 204 – 2590 Granville St, Vancouver BC V6H 3H1

Signature

Printed on 100% recycled paper