Helpful Resources

First Call published the BC Child Report Card 2020 with reports on child poverty in BC. First Call finds that “at 18.5%, BC’s child poverty rate was slightly higher than the national child poverty rate of 18.2%. The poverty rate for children living in lone-parent families was still shamefully high at 50.4%.”

There is an amazing resource, entitled Low Income Explorer. It is a map of the density of low income in all of the communities in Canada (including Surrey) and is based on the most current Canada Census 2016.

The Surrey Poverty Reduction Coalition was formed in 2012 to promote implementation of the Surrey Poverty Reduction Plan (T.H.I.S.). This site is a good source for information on local agencies that support their work of poverty reduction. Click here to see their amazing and most current Equity Maps of the municipality.

The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) is a collaborative, interdisciplinary network based at UBC. Their research explores the roles that a child’s experiences and environment play in their development. The website, in part, includes maps, data and fact sheets.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA)  is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social, economic and environmental justice. In their report (Jan.11, ’17) Long Overdue: Why BC needs a poverty reduction plan, the authors state, “It is a common misconception that the poor are mostly on social assistance. Our research shows that about half of those living below the poverty line are either the working poor or children of the working poor. While over 13 per cent of British Columbians live in poverty, only about four per cent rely on social assistance at any given time”

The BC Teachers’ Federation Economic Justice Team reports that “teachers spent $3.85 million per year out of their own pockets to help feed hungry kids. It’s likely that figure has also increased in the current [Covid-19] crisis.” Here is a link to Kindergarten to Grade 12 Classroom Resources.

Dr. Donna Beegle is the inspiration for the Bright Beginning Foundation. Though the kindness of a mentor, Donna emerged from generational poverty and went on to research and write articles providing insights and strategies for communicating more effectively across race, class, gender and generational barriers. She is the President of Communication Across Barriers. There is a very interesting three-part series interview with Donna. Here is the YouTube link.