By Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada

November 14, 2023

During our recent Day on the Hill in Ottawa, we met with a number of federal government officials. The purpose of these meetings was to emphasize our 2024 pre-budget submission, where we’re calling on all parties to recognize the importance of after-school time and to ensure that all youth have the supports they need to thrive in this era of increasing uncertainty.

How do BGC Clubs stand out?

One of the important distinctions about what BGC Clubs do is spend quality AND quantity time with children and youth. Parents who think that they can get away with just spending quality time with their kids quickly find out that this approach doesn’t work—kids don’t work on your schedule. They need to spend lots of time with you, and moments in those periods can become significant, but you can’t create quality through an appointment!

Kids spend hours in Clubs every day. They are not periodic or incidental—these experiences are consistent, daily engagements for significant periods—where Club programs, staff and volunteers can have a major influence on the lives of young people. Because of this, our Clubs play an outsized role in the lives of the young people who enter our doors, and that influence is critical in offering kids the tools, skills, and experiences to take advantage of the opportunities that life will offer them academically, economically, and socially.

Youth needs are changing

In recent years, youth needs have changed dramatically, and Clubs have grown with them. Instead of just a quick after-school snack, Clubs now provide nearly six million meals per year – in too many cases, the only meal of the day. On top of recreation and sports programs, we offer mental health support and increasingly direct access to therapists. And where Clubs were founded to provide a safe space for youth outside of school hours, some Clubs even provide youth housing.

Why is after-school care so hard to access?

We did a recent study with Abacus Data and found that at least one third of Canadian families don’t have access to before and after-school care. Our Clubs are often located in communities that are disproportionately impacted by poverty – and while we do offer programming for free or at greatly reduced rates, our own staff capacity challenges are meaning that we have fewer spaces to offer. Add to that the impact of inflation and cost-of-living increases, families are finding it harder to pay for groceries let alone out-of-school care.

Every parent wants the best possible opportunities for their children. And they struggle with being
present for their kids while balancing the needs of jobs, careers, and the many demands of life. The
patchwork of services that fill the out-of-school space is entirely difficult to navigate – each parent
hopes they are offering the best they can, but worries that it’s not enough, it’s not the right thing, and
that things could change at any time – prices increase, programs close, wait lists are long, or their child
doesn’t have access to a walkable after-school provider.

A more comprehensive approach to out-of-school time is vital. Our ask to government was a foot in the door, a chance to express that more families and communities need BGC Clubs’ out of school services.

Published on Cision October 19, 2023

Funding will enhance support for more than 13,000 children and youth across the province.

BRANTFORD, ON, Oct. 19, 2023 /CNW/ – BGC Canada welcomed Minister Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, to BGC Brantford to announce an additional $1.1 million in provincial funding for Ontario’s After School Program (ASP) for the 2023-24 school year. This is an important first step in ensuring that all children have access to safe, affordable care options during after school hours.

The funding will help BGC Clubs and other providers keep fees low while continuing to provide safe spaces, recreation opportunities, and healthy meals and snacks for thousands of children in Ontario.

“Our government is supporting opportunities for children and youth to be active and healthy,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “This $1.1 million in additional funding for the 2023-24 school year will enable after school providers, like BGC Brantford, to continue serving high-priority neighbourhoods and tailor their programming to align with the needs of the local community.”

“Ontario’s After School Program is a key support for working families,” said Brantford-Brant MPP Will Bouma. “A healthy child means happy parents, and these supervised, quality programs, delivered by local service providers, will continue to be an integral part of the daily routine for families in our community.”

“Through Ontario’s After School Program, BGC Clubs can provide affordable and high-quality programming to over 4,700 children and youth across the province,” said Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada. “As Ontarians struggle with the rising cost of living, affordable after school care is a lifeline for parents. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Ministry on lowering costs for parents and expanding opportunities for children.”

ASP allows over 13,000 children to participate in after school programs in priority communities across Ontario. This investment brings total program funding to $14.6M for the 2023-2024 school year.

“BGC Brantford is proud of our history of providing opportunities for children and youth, helping them to reach their full potential. We would not be able to operate our after school spaces without support from Ontario’s After School Program,” said Amy Valletta, BGC Brantford.

About BGC Canada

For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 635 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental wellness, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

Media Contact

Natalie Paul, BGC Canada
Director, Marketing Strategy & Content
npaul@bgccan.com
(437) 388-1539