Recommendations for Budget 2024

• Recommendation 1 – Expand access to BGC Clubs across Canada.
  • Invest $2 million to fund community, Club and stakeholder consultations, community demographic modelling, and expansion site identification and preparation.
  • Invest $20 million in short-term project-based funding to enable BGC to provide or lease the space, equipment, and staff required to create new, self-sustaining Clubs and before- and after-school spaces.
• Recommendation 2 – Invest in a thriving community service sector.
  • Co-develop a labour force strategy for the community service sector, supporting staff recruitment, retention and training initiatives.
  • Invest $100 million over two years into Caring for Carers, a program proposal to provide evidence-based mental health and substance use supports for frontline staff, and organizational supports to develop psychologically healthy workplaces.
  • Invest $400 million into a second, adapted round of the Community Services Recovery Fund, to meet the extreme unmet demand shown in the first round from nonprofit organizations.
• Recommendation 3 – Sustain and expand the childcare sector workforce.
  • Provide compensation and benefits for all staff delivering childcare, in line with living wage minimums;
  • Create travel subsidies for staff working in rural and remote communities;
  • Expand access to existing federal programs, including the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP) and Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) for nonprofit childcare operators; and,
  • Prioritize immigration streams for individuals with relevant childcare credentials, as well provide as fee waivers and funding for nonprofit employers wishing to sponsor staff.

Introduction

As Canada’s largest dedicated child- and youth-serving organization, BGC Canada (formerly Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada) provides vital programs and services to more than 150,000 children, youth and families across Canada. For more than 120 years, our Clubs have been there for vulnerable children, youth, and families. Through our life-changing programs, community-based services, and relationships with peers and caring adults, BGC Canada helps kids and teens develop the skills they need to succeed.

At BGC, we know that opportunity changes everything. Children and youth who attend BGC Clubs have fewer interactions with the justice system, improved mental and physical health, and struggle less with academics, based on peer reviewed research¹. Ninety percent of youth report that because of Club, they are more physically active, more confident, and have more people they like spending time with. These benefits generate more than nine dollars for every dollar invested at a Club, while ensuring that parents can stay in the workforce.²

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 supports, and increasingly direct access to therapists. And where Clubs were founded to provide a safe space for youth outside of school hours, they’re now expanding into shelters and supportive housing for entire families.

Our recommendations for Budget 2024 are meant to ensure that youth have the supports they need to thrive in the face of emerging crises. By expanding Clubs’ presence across the country, and investing in our frontline staff, the federal government can help youth survive and thrive in this era of increasing uncertainty.

Recommendations

Expand access to BGC Clubs across Canada

BGC Canada applauded the historic investments made by federal and provincial governments to establish a national, $10/day childcare system. We also welcomed the investments made in Budget 2022 to expand nonprofit early learning childcare infrastructure. As recipients of this funding, our Clubs have seen firsthand the impact that early and sustained investment in children and youth can make.

Clubs provide high-quality childcare for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, but families’ needs don’t stop when a child enters kindergarten. Recent polling conducted by Abacus Data for BGC Canada found that at least one-third of Canadian families need but don’t have access to before- and after-school care. Families without care options are likely to be both younger and lower income, while all parents were nearly unanimous in recommending that all children have
access to after-school care³. As children begin to age out of newly created $10/day childcare spaces, parents will once again struggle to find available and affordable care options.

BGC Clubs already support those who are at greatest risk – Indigenous and racialized children, newcomers, children with disabilities, and low-income families. At more than 600 locations, our trained staff help young people build the confidence and sense of belonging they need to overcome barriers, while reflecting the diversity of their local communities. Our before- and after-school spaces and programs are available at low or no cost, and the inability to pay has never kept a child out of a Club. Clubs also open their doors to older youth, providing teenagers with safe spaces away from home, as well as PSE and employment supports.

Last year, BGC Clubs provided nearly 6 million meals and snacks. Without regular access to food, everything in a child’s life is impacted: their ability to think and learn and their mental and physical well-being. With cost-of-living increases, we’re seeing more and more families struggle to meet basic food needs. Food insecurity is even more prominent within specific communities, as Clubs often serve communities disproportionately impacted by poverty. Children who experience chronic food insecurity will rely more heavily on the healthcare system to cope with mental health and substance dependencies.

We know that there is an enormous unmet need for our services. The federal government had previously committed to creating 250,000 new before- and after-school spaces. In response, BGC Canada had identified communities without dedicated after-school and youth organizations, with a particular focus on rural and northern communities, and communities experiencing rapid growth driven by economic development and immigration. Our growth and expansion strategy has been informed by our partner organizations across North America. In the past four years, we have grown to better serve those communities – including Calgary, Peterborough, and the Okanagan Valley – but more remains to be done.

• To ensure that all families and all youth have the care and supports they need, we recommend that the federal government fund the creation of new BGC Clubs and locations across Canada.
  An investment of $2 million would fund community, Club, and stakeholder consultations, community demographic modelling, and expansion site identification and preparation.
• An additional $20 million, short-term project-based investments would enable BGC to provide or lease the space, equipment, and staff required to create new, self-sustaining Clubs and before- and after-school spaces. Funding would provide four years of start-up costs for up to five new Clubs.

We also welcome the opportunity to participate in consultations on a national school food policy, and look forward to the implementation of food supports for children both during and outside of school hours.

Invest in a thriving community service sector

Like all other employers in the community services and nonprofit sector, BGC Clubs are struggling with ongoing labour shortages. Canada’s aging workforce, and new staffing pressures from the implementation of the national childcare agreements have left many Clubs struggling to find and retain qualified staff. Clubs are also reporting an increased need for mental health supports for from children, youth and families. As a result of higher workloads, labour shortages, and low pay compared to other sectors, staff report higher rates of absenteeism, personal mental health challenges, and burnout, ultimately leading many to leave the sector. Action is needed to recruit and retain the staff who will deliver new childcare spaces.

Collectively, the charities and nonprofits employ more than 2.5 million Canadians, generating more than 8% of Canada’s GDP.⁴ Our staff are predominantly women, and often newcomers, and are engaged in delivering programs and services desperately needed, including housing supports, immigration settlement services, and childcare. A thriving community service sector will not only provide economic benefits to our staff, but to Canadians of all backgrounds and needs.

To ensure that the community services sector can continue to deliver lifesaving programs, BGC Canada, along with the United Way Centraide Canada, the YMCA, the YWCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada, CMHA, and other national charities, propose a three-pronged approach. We recommend the government:

• Co-develop a labour force strategy for the community service sector, supporting staff recruitment, retention and training initiatives.
• Invest $100 million over two years into Caring for Carers, a program proposal to provide evidence-based mental health and substance use supports for frontline staff, and organizational supports to develop psychologically healthy workplaces.
• Invest $400 million into a second, adapted round of the Community Services Recovery Fund, to meet the extreme unmet demand shown in the first round from nonprofit organizations.

Sustain and expand the childcare sector workforce

We welcomed the commitment from provincial and federal governments to create a national strategy specifically for the childcare sector. Clubs across Canada have struggled to fill vacant staffing positions, particularly in early years childcare. While we are working closely with all provincial governments to improve wages and working conditions, we recognize that the federal government has a role to play in solving childcare workforce shortages and delivering on the commitment to expand access to affordable childcare.

For example, BGC Clubs in BC currently have a 59% vacancy rate for the ECE positions required to run programming at full capacity, leaving more than 60 approved childcare spaces empty, with other programs forced to close. At the other end of the country, BGC Charlottetown has been forced to close their site in Montague, despite growing enrollment numbers across the province, because of ongoing staff shortages. Similar concerns exist in every province, and particularly in rural and northern communities.

To address these ongoing shortages, we recommend that the national strategy for the sector include:

• Increased compensation and benefits for all staff delivering childcare, in line with living wage minimums
• Expanded access to existing federal programs, including the Sectoral Workforce Solutions Program (SWSP) and Student Work Placement Program (SWPP) for nonprofit childcare operators;
• Prioritized immigration streams for individuals with relevant childcare credentials, as well as fee waivers and funding for nonprofit employers wishing to sponsor staff; and,
• Create travel subsidies for staff working in rural and remote communities.

BGC Canada also echoes the call from the National Alliance for Children and Youth (NACY) for investment in data collection specific to the child and youth sector. The child and youth sector, unlike other sectors, lacks comprehensive, national-level data about its organizations, programs, and reach. An investment of $5 million over four years could create a national survey and database of child and youth programs, as well as a benchmark of the sector’s capacity and staffing levels. This data will be crucial in identifying gaps and opportunities to strengthen the sector.

Conclusion

From rising cost of living to growing geopolitical instability, Canada faces new and emerging challenges. The community services sector, including organizations like Clubs, are crucial in providing the front line supports that children, youth and families need to thrive in the face of these crises. The federal government has the opportunity to work hand in hand with those on the front lines, and through us support children and families across the country.

Investments in before- and after-school care and the community services workforce will help build a stronger and more resilient Canada for generations to come. We look forward to working with the government to achieve this vision.

1. https://www.bgccan.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MCHP-BGCW-Impact-Study-2020-Summary.pdf
2. https://lbgc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Return-on-Investment-Study-Highlights.pdf
3. Abacus Data for BGC Canada, 2022
4. https://www.imaginecanada.ca/en/About-the-sector#:%7E:text=Our%20sector%20is%20an%20economic,or%20agriculture%2C%20transportation%20and%20retail

Published on September 29 from National Association of Friendship Centres

BGC Canada and NAFC sign MOU to advance reconciliation and support youth ahead of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

OTTAWA – BGC Canada (formerly the Boys and Girls Club of Canada) and the National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to work towards advancing reconciliation and opportunities for partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth across the country.
Through the memorandum, both organizations commit to joint advocacy, sharing tools and training, and facilitating opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to learn from each other and work together to be drivers of reconciliation in their communities. BGC Canada and the NAFC will work together with their member-based network of local Clubs and Friendship Centres in expanding Truth and Reconciliation activities, including, but not limited to, engagement on youth capacity and employment, the rights of children, women in the economy, and summer programming.

The signing comes in advance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and responds directly to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Call to Action #66. TRC Call to Action #66 calls upon the federal government to establish multi-year funding for community-based youth organizations to deliver programs on reconciliation and establish a national network to share information and best practices.

“As a previous Youth Council member in the Friendship Centre Movement, I understand firsthand the value of youth programming and the difference it makes in the lives of youth. Ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the NAFC continues to support actions to recommit ourselves, governments and partners to uphold the rights of urban Indigenous children and youth across the country. This partnership will support both our Youth Councils in learning from each other to increase respect, understanding and reciprocity between urban Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. The NAFC and our network of Friendship Centres are on the front line with urban Indigenous Youth across the country, constantly working to build capacity, leadership and provide mentorship through youth-driven programs, job training, and related wraparound supports. We are optimistic to partner with BGC Canada to support youth and advocate for a brighter future.” – Jocelyn Formsma, Executive Director, NAFC

“BGC Clubs across the country are proud to partner with the NAFC to advance reconciliation and create opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth alike. Our Clubs have committed
to creating equitable spaces for Indigenous staff, children, and youth, and to ending systemic inequities faced by Indigenous communities.” – Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Bridget Bowman Communications, Policy and Research Manager, NAFC
bbowman@nafc.ca

The National Association of Friendship Centres is a national network of Indigenous-owned and operated civil society, not-for-profit, and service delivery organizations across Canada. The NAFC was established in 1972 to represent a growing number of Friendship Centres at the national level. Acting as a unifying body for the Friendship Centre Movement (FCM), the NAFC represents a network of over 100 Friendship Centres and Provincial-Territorial Associations across Canada.

With the influx of Indigenous urbanization beginning in the mid-1950s, Friendship Centres emerged out of a clear need for culturally grounded services to support Indigenous newcomers to the city. With the increased demand for services for urban First Nations, Inuit and Métis people, the number of Friendship Centres increased and the nature of their programming and services expanded. With a vast majority of Canada’s Indigenous population living in urban environments, Friendship Centres fill an essential gap in service provisions, as one of the few organizations directly catering to urban Indigenous needs in a status-inclusive model.

//

Mary O’Connell Director, Marketing & Communications, BGC Canada
moconnell@bgccan.com
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 736 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.

The BGC National Youth Council (NYC) is responsible for representing the concerns of thousands of youth across the nation served by BGC Canada. BGC’s NYC aims to amplify youth voices by reflecting and addressing various socio-economic challenges across Canada. By ensuring that youth input is included in national initiatives and activities, NYC members serve as ambassadors and role models for other children and youth throughout the organization. We aim to positively influence decision-making on issues related to young people to create a better and safer environment for Canadian youth across the globe.

Today is International Youth Day. A day to remember the importance of investing in today’s youth so that we have the tools and skills to create a brighter future for Canada. This International Youth Day, it is important to call attention to the rising mental health challenges faced by Canadian youth, especially in the post-pandemic era. It is critical to address these issues to work towards understanding how to navigate these relatively uncharted waters in which the pandemic has taken a serious toll on our mental and physical health.

Statistics Canada data shows that youth have experienced the greatest declines in mental health since the pandemic began. Those already experiencing poor mental health before COVID-19 were impacted even more by the pandemic. A Statistics Canada report shows that youth are less likely among age groups to report good mental health– and saw the largest drop in self-reported mental health since the pandemic. Only 42% of youth report their mental health as excellent or very good[1].  An estimated 1.2 million children and youth in Canada are affected by mental illness—yet, less than 20 percent will receive appropriate treatment[2]. There are a variety of short-term and long-term risks associated with youth mental health challenges. These include both health and behavioral risks including increased risk of drug use, experiencing violence, and other habits established in adolescence that affect youth development into adulthood. Therefore, a growing body of international evidence demonstrates that promotion, prevention, and early intervention initiatives show positive returns on investment[3].

Additionally, mental health disorders—most often depression—are strongly associated with the risk, occurrence, management, progression, and outcome of serious chronic diseases and health conditions[4]. Without intervention, the consequences can be devastating. In a recent report, suicide was recorded as the second leading cause of death for people aged 15-24[5] However, Indigenous youth are even more vulnerable, dying by suicide about 5 to 6 times more often than non-Indigenous youth[6]. There must be a call to action to better protect our youth and reduce suicide across the country. This begins with increasing awareness, pushing for government reform, and improvement of existing mental health programs for young Canadians.

The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry writes that the only solution is the “creation of a truly transformed system of youth mental health care embedded within the current larger system”. This would include essential services specifically designed for youth to address “multiple health needs (physical, sexual, and mental), substance use, and emerging mental disorders”[7].

Recommendations

The statement “today’s youth are the leaders of tomorrow” is often quoted by government but neglected in policy considerations. The National Youth Council, therefore, recommends further investment in youth mental health supports. This includes:

• Increased funding for community mental health programs to make therapy and other mental health programs more accessible to youth, by ensuring programs can meet the demand for their services and are affordable.
• All levels of government must recognize the importance of destigmatizing mental health so that BGC patrons along with youth across the nation can receive the help they need.
• Increased access to Mental Health First Aid Training for frontline staff so staff can better support the mental health of youth within existing programs. Through training staff at organizations such as BGC Clubs, we can create an environment where staff is better equipped to speak to youth about mental health and refer them to services as needed – breaking the cycle of mental health stigma.
• It is important to recognize that mental health support is not a one size fits all approach. It affects a variety of vulnerable demographics differently including, marginalized and racialized youth. Therefore, services must be built to address the unique needs of youth experiencing mental distress, “while being sensitive to their cultural, historic, and geographic realities.”

Without the government’s support and attention to this mental health crisis, youth across the country will continue to struggle. By supporting the fight for mental health reform, we can begin to create a brighter future for youth that will in turn improve education, employment, family wellbeing, and the overall quality of life for youth across Canada.

Sincerely,

BGC’s National Youth Council

[1] Statistics Canada: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2020001/article/00003-eng.htm

[2] Mental Health Commission of Canada: https://mentalhealthcommission.ca/what-we-do/children-and-youth/

[3] Roberts and Grimes (2011). Return on investment: Mental health promotion and mental illness prevention. A Canadian Policy Network / Canadian Institute for Health Information report. Ottawa: CIHI. Mental Health Commission of Canada (2014). Why investing in mental health will contribute to Canada’s economic prosperity and to the sustainability of our health care system. Retrieved from http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/node/742

[4] Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/leading-health-indicators/2020-lhi-topics/Mental-Health#:~:text=Evidence%20has%20shown%20that%20mental,%2C2%2C%203%20and%20cancer.

[5] Statistics Canada (2018). Deaths and age-specific mortality rates, by selected grouped causes, Canada, 2016. Table: 13-10-0392-01

[6] Health Canada (2015). First Nations & Inuit health – mental health and wellness. Retrieved from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/promotion/mental/index-eng.php.

[7] Youth Mental Health Should be a Top Priority for Health Care in Canada : https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0706743718758968