our-work
You are here
Young people are entitled to the resources and support they need to grow up safely and realize their full potential. Currently, the systems mandated to support vulnerable children, youth and their families often fail to live up to that responsibility. In other cases, government policies and practices actually intensify harm. Pivot’s justice for youth campaign is committed to ensuring that the courts, the child welfare system and other systems with the power to intervene in the lives of young people are accountable to, and supportive of, individuals, families and communities they are mandated to serve and that young people have the information they need to exercise their rights.
justice for youth
Current Projects
Youth Legal Education Project-Over the past year, Pivot has been hosting legal education and advice clinics at organizations serving youth at risk. This year, we are working with youth and film students to create an accessible legal resource for their peers in the form of short online videos answering common legal questions in accessible language. Look for the videos this summer.
Past Victories
Documenting BC’s Broken Child Protection System - In 2006, Pivot began to collect stories from women about their experiences with the child protection system. Based on the stories and recommendations of 44 women, we produced “Broken Promises: Parents Speak about BC’s Child Welfare System.” The report was endorsed by The BC Association of Social Workers and has been used as an educational resource in social work classes around the province. A year later, Pivot joined forces with the BCGEU, the union representing social workers in British Columbia, to Produce “Hands Tied: Child Welfare Workers Talk about Working in and Leaving BC’s Child Welfare System.” The report relied on surveys with current and former MCFD social workers and found that workers are dealing with unmanageable caseloads, lack of resources for families, and high rates of burnout.
Helping vulnerable families reunite- In May of 2010, Pivot and West Coast LEAF launched a systemic complaint asking the office of the Ombudsperson to review a policy that resulted in families’ shelter allowance being reduced when a child was in temporary foster care, often resulting in the family loosing their housing. The complaint, brought on behalf of Atira Women’s Resource Society, Battered Women’s Support Services, the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, and the Kettle Friendship Society, alleged that the policy unfairly impacted poor families, particularly Aboriginal and single mother-lead families. We argued that the regulation was counterproductive because when a child is in temporary care, the MCFD social worker is working with the family to get the child home. On May 3rd 2011, the Ministry of Social Development revised the income assistance regulations. Now, when a dependent child is temporarily in care, the family’s shelter allowance will be maintained as long as the parent is working with the Ministry toward reunification.