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.

With Canada being the second largest diaspora of Ukrainians in the world, we know that the war in Ukraine is affecting many people, including Club youth and staff. We are of course disturbed by what we see and hear about the invasion, and it’s adding to the ongoing mental health toll.

Addressing the fears and worries of children and youth as they discuss their anxieties and fear about war and its possible impacts is important, even when we don’t have certainty about what may happen next. For many youth, this is the first time they have considered the possibilities of a broader war, including the threats of a nuclear power. It is a difficult time, but listening and being open remains one of our best tools of support.

Below we have compiled a few resources that can help parents, guardians, caregivers, and childcare staff talk with children about traumatic events.

• How to talk to children about the invasion of Ukraine, and why those conversations are important (from The Conversation)
• Talking to children about war (from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)
• How to talk to your children about conflict and war (from UNICEF)
• With invasion of Ukraine, parents and educators face tough conversations with kids (from CBC)
• How to talk to children about the war in Ukraine (from The Tyee)
• How to talk with kids about war: Pointers for parents (from familyeducation.com)
• Understand why Russia is attacking Ukraine (from owlconnected.com)

Young people who are feeling overwhelmed or stressed or just need to talk can also contact Kids Help Phone by texting BGCHelp to 686868 to be connected with a crisis responder 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The changes will give more parents access to safe, high-quality, and accessible child care

[TORONTO, ON] October 2, 2020 – With authorized recreation and licenced child care programs for 135,000 children and youth at over 300 locations, Boys & Girls Clubs across Ontario welcome the proposed changes announced today to regulations associated with the Child Care and Early Years Act (CCEYA) as part of the ongoing CCEYA 5-year review.

Child care accessibility is more critical than ever, especially in rural areas, as the province grapples with COVID-19 repercussions and looks to recovery. By permitting Boys and Girls Clubs to provide authorized recreation programming for more than three hours per day for school-aged children, Clubs across Ontario will be able to accommodate children before AND after-school, giving parents across Ontario more access to safe, high-quality, and affordable child care.

“The proposed changes will support our local Clubs in providing more community-driven programs and services to support families,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. “Improving child care access, affordability, and parental choice is critical in Ontario. Our Clubs remain committed to supporting children, youth, and families and we look forward to working with the provincial government and local stakeholders to ensure the success of these planned changes.”

“As a provider of both licensed child care and authorized recreation, we welcome the opportunity to increase our services to families in our area,” says Amy Terrill, Executive Director, Boys & Girls Clubs of Kawartha Lakes. “The proposed regulatory changes will create greater opportunities for parents to participate fully and confidently in the labour force, particularly in rural areas.”

By recognizing the unique needs of school-aged children, the proposed changes will support keeping older children in before- and after-school programs, which evidence has shown supports all aspects of their development and has a long-term positive impact.

About Boys and Girls Clubs of Ontario 
As Canada’s largest child- and youth-serving organization, Boys and Girls Clubs provide vital programs and services to over 200,000 young people in 775 communities across Canada. At 319 locations across Ontario, 23 Boys and Girls Clubs provide before and after school programming for more than 135,000 children and youth every year. Our trained staff help young people build the confidence and sense of belonging they need to overcome barriers and form positive relationships. By delivering evidence-based and effective programs that reflect the diversity of their communities, our Clubs provide young people the opportunity to explore their interests, develop their strengths, and realize positive outcomes in academics, physical activity, technology, self-expression, healthy living, mental health, and more.