VFCYJC sub-committees

Priorities

Vets applications to determine if they align with the mandate of the  committee.  Prepares reports to committee with recommendations based on our Priorities Purpose document.  Follows up on recipients to ensure accountability and to best capture the intent and process for our annual report.

Chair: Marcie McLean

Communications

Generates a flow of information into, through and out of the parent committee that is consistent with, and promotes, its short and long-term goals/activities. Engages in productive communications with associated agencies in the public domain and in various levels of government.  Manages the website and social media accounts and, compiles and distributes annual reports to ministries and municipalities as appropriate.  Also works to inform the community about events (TCO2 for example), and ensures invitations go out to all our appointing agencies for important events.

Chair: Adam Flint

Court Watch

Attending Family or Youth Court to observe the process, report back to the sub- and main committees on the experiences of youth and families. This is to be an ongoing check in by various members of the Youth Matters or Family Matters committees. Georgia Peters has offered to lead an orientation.

Chair: Marie-Térèse Little

Youth and Family Matters

Youth: Works to engage youth and investigate the issues that are problematic for youth specifically (rather than the family, school etc.)  This committee has done the ‘Bright Ideas Youth Conferences’ which were highly successful in engaging youth, but began with an invitation to bring all youth serving agencies together in a one day format that allowed for agencies to know more about each other and engage with one another to support youth with an efficient ‘team spirit’.  This committee is a good place for you if you want to hear specifically from youth as we are hoping to engage with youth again.  Issues might include bullying etc.

Family: Works to understand the issues for families – may liaise with 1Up (single parent resource centre), parenting support groups, conflict resolution agencies etc.  There is likely some crossover with Court Watch as family dynamics are impacted by separation and divorce actions.

Chair: Cynthia Day

Capital Region Action Team for Sexually Exploited Youth (CRATSEY)

Works to identify protective measures for youth who are or have been victims of sexual exploitation or human trafficking.

Chair: Bill McElroy

*Restorative Justice (Reporting status, not an official sub-committee)

Restorative Justice has been supported with letters and some funding by the committee since 2006 to develop training materials, to train trainers to help launch several community programs, one of which is now a sizeable non-profit with trained volunteers who provide services across the CRD.  Restorative Justice Victoria reports regularly through the committee and annually as a resource agency with statistics, program outcomes, project details, partnerships and other relevant matters.

Liaison: Gillian Lindquist, Restorative Justice Victoria

*Reporting status, not an official sub-committee

 *Youth Mental Health Task Force

Advocate for mental wellness options for youth, track waitlists and availability, facilitate communication between agencies and with the public and address recidivism and criminality.

*Not an official sub-committee