$80,000 Awarded for Adoption and Permanency Projects

VICTORIA, BC – The Adoption and Permanency Fund of BC has granted a total of $80,000 for four unique projects in support of adoption and permanency in British Columbia.

The grant provides a critical financial contribution to a research project that will allow our organization to gather knowledge and hear stories from youth about their lived experiences; hopes and dreams; family reunification opportunities and what they believe a housing model needs to include” said Fran Hunt-Jinnouchi, of the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness, who will receive a $20,000 grant from the Fund. “The research will inform the development of youth-centered culturally supportive housing and the organization’s 5-Year Housing Strategy”, she added.

The independent Adoption and Permanency Fund of BC was established in 2003 by the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) to help British Columbia’s children and youth awaiting adoption and/or other permanent connections. Since inception, it has granted over $1.5M for more than 250 different projects across the province.

We are committed to keeping more children and youth than ever before connected to their families, their communities and their culture here in B.C.”, said Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development. “Some children and youth will want to take the route of adoption and these programs are effective examples of how we support permanency. I thank the service providers and Victoria Foundation for making a difference in the lives of children, youth and those who care for them.”

As of December 2021, MCFD reported there were 5,021 children and youth in care in BC.  More than 600 of them are waiting for a permanent family.

Grant Recipients

  • Carrier Sekani Family Services: Traditional Knowledge Holders, fluent in the Carrier-Sekani (Nadut’en) language, will provide weekly immersion style language classes to Indigenous children and youth in care and their caregivers.
  • Parent Support Services Society of BC: Production of accessible materials that describe the state of kinship care today. Kinship families, such as grandparents raising grandchildren, will use these materials to educate, advocate, and assist in the development of future policy.
  • Aboriginal Coalition to End Homeless: To fund an Indigenous youth housing research project that will work with Indigenous youth to gather data respecting their experiences with homelessness. The research will capture the youth’s stories, with a specific focus on their experiences in care and aging out of care. The outcomes of the research will be included in a 5-Year housing plan for Indigenous youth.
  • Metis Commission for Children and Families of BC: Hosting of cultural gatherings in three Metis Chartered Communities (Nanaimo, Abbotsford and Prince George) to discuss permanency options with Metis children and youth in care.

The Fund’s Advisory Committee Chair, David Cameron, noted that “Over the last two years the pandemic has affected not only those unfortunate enough to be stricken with the disease but also those who have dedicated their work to caring for and helping others. Applicants for our grants represent those caregivers. The committee thanks you for your extraordinary perseverance and dedication to helping those in need. We appreciate you.”

The Victoria Foundation manages the program, and CEO Sandra Richardson says, “The organizations receiving funding through the Adoption and Permanency Fund are undertaking extremely important work in our communities with a focus on creating lifelong connections for kids and youth with a family, community, and culture. I look forward to hearing the success of these programs in communities across the province.”

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Background:

The Adoption and Permanency Fund of BC is administered by the Victoria Foundation under the guidance of a nine-person advisory committee appointed by the Adoption Council of Canada.  Committee members promote the fund’s availability, evaluate applications and make granting recommendations.

The BC Ministry of Children and Family Development asked the Victoria Foundation to manage the Fund because of the Foundation’s proven granting experience, administrative capabilities and prudent financial investment policy.

Founded in 1936, the Victoria Foundation is Canada’s second-oldest community foundation. The Victoria Foundation grants nearly a million dollars a month, and to-date we have distributed more than $269 million to support charities locally and across Canada.

For more information, please contact:

Rory Grewar
Director of Special Funds, Victoria Foundation
250.381.5532 ext. #226

email: rgrewar@victoriafoundation.bc.ca
www.victoriafoundation.bc.ca