April 15th, 2011
April 15, 2011
Dear parents and family members,
It has been a very busy few months full of events and workshops for the parents and family members of adults and children with disabilities – with more to come! The Securing the Future workshop last weekend was very lively with many good ideas and questions about investing in RDSPs. With both personal AND government contributions, the RDSPs we have started for our family members will soon start to accumulate a lot of money. If we want this money to grow faster than inflation we need to learn about investment options for these funds. This workshop was so well received we hope to offer something similar again in the next year.
BACI EVENTS:
Securing the Future: personal and financial planning for families There is one session left in our spring family education opportunity on topics of importance to families who have family members with a disability. You can attend just the April 30th session. Because the sessions are being held at Still Creek we have lots of room so please pass this information along to anyone you think could benefit.
WHEN: Saturday April 30th - Wills and Trusts and Supported Decision Making, 10 AM – 3 PM
WHERE: BACI Still Creek Centre, 2702 Norland Avenue, Burnaby
REGISTRATION & COST: $10 per person per session. Please see the REGISTRATION FORM.
BACI BLAST: The latest blog entries include articles on employment, the BACI Community Kitchen, the new Community Garden and the Simple Steps to Healthy Relationships program. Read what’s new in the BLAST.
Music on Mondays: Families with young children are invited to come out and enjoy this family fun opportunity which features musicians from the Music Therapists Cooperative..
WHEN: First Monday of the month, 6 – 7:30 PM, music from 6:15 – 7:00 PM
WHERE: BACI Family Matters, 7724 Royal Oak Ave , Burnaby
COST: FREE For more information please contact Sarah Baumbush cell: 778.319.8252
Please see THE FLYER for more information.
BACI Chinese Parents of Children with autism: The parent group helps to develop services and support for autistic persons and to raise the awareness of autism in Chinese community.
WHEN: Second Saturday of the month, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
WHERE: BACI Family Gathering Place, 7716 Royal Oak Ave, Burnaby
COST: FREE For more information please contact John Tsang cell: 604.928.8289
Please see THE FLYER for more information.
Events and items of interest for Burnaby/New West:
LAST DAY to have your opinion heard in the City of Burnaby Social Sustainability Initiative: The City of Burnaby is hosting a series of community meetings to hear the views of Burnaby citizens about the new Social Sustainability Intiative. Everyone at BACI is very excited to see that Community Inclusion is one of the main strategies in this initiative. This is your opportunity to make Burnaby a safer more inclusive community for people with disabilities and their families. The last date for input is April 15th.
Read the draft strategy.
Take the survey.
Attend an Open House.
A Social Life: A NEW drop-in Social group for parents and youth 14 – 24 years of age with an intellectual/developmental disability. Parents or caregivers must attend with the child.
WHEN: March 13 – June 12th
WHERE: New Westminster Youth Centre, 620 – 8th Street, New Westminster
REGISTRATION: FREE Please see THE FLYER for more information.
Register for summer camps now! Please find below two of the many camps that are specifically for children and youth with disabilities, however many typical camps are inclusive. You should contact the summer camp of your choice to find out their inclusion policies.
BC Easter Seals Camps Registration is open now! BC Easter Seals Camps provide free overnight summer camping experiences for children and teens with physical and/or mental disabilities throughout British Columbia. Check out the camp dates HERE.
The Zajac Ranch for Children: 300 – 2006 West 10th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6J 2B3
Phone 604-739-0444 | Fax 604-739-0441 | Email info@zajac.com
You have a chance to win an iPod Touch by completing a survey: Are you a parent or family member of a child or youth with special needs receiving services from the Ministry of Children and Family Development? Was your child or youth 18 years old or younger after October 31, 2009? BCACL wants to know how the transfer of services from CLBC to MCFD has affected families of children and youth with special needs. BCACL would like to hear from you. Find out more about the survey HERE.
The Vancouver East chapter of the “Parents of Youth with Disabilites in Transition” group is now in full swing! This is an information, networking and support group for parents of youth with disabilities who are transitioning to adulthood (grades 10, 11, 12). Hosted by families who have ‘been there, done that!’ There is also limited space available with a youth leader for childcare.
WHEN: Monday, April 18th, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
WHERE: Britannia Community Services Centre, 1661 Napier Street (off Commercial)
TOPIC: What to do from 3 p.m. – 9 p.m.?
RSVP: Please see THE FLYER for more information or to register for the youth group.
Abilities Expo: ConnecTra’s multi-agency resource fair will bring people with disabilities face to face with Metro Vancouver service providers. Join us for an afternoon of information sharing and entertainment.
WHEN: 12:30 PM on Tuesday, April 19
WHERE: Roundhouse Community Centre 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver (across from the accessible Yaletown-Roundhouse SkyTrain station)
*NEW* Morning Coffee Break for Parents: If you find evening support groups and workshops difficult to attend this group could be for you. Hosted by the Simon Fraser Society for Community Living, the group meets at a location just off Hwy 1, a five minute drive from Burnaby.
WHEN: Thursday, April 28th, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
WHERE: 204 Blue Mountain Street (corner of Blue Mountain and Lougheed Hwy) Coquitlam
Please see THE FLYER for more information.
The Inclusion Film Festival: An evening of video works by the Stage Door Players.
WHEN: April 27, 28, & 29 (7:30pm)
WHERE: Stage Door Theatre, Heritage Hall at 3102 Main Street.
Admission is by donation. For more information call 604.872.1252
Forum on Ageing: the Fraser Region Community Living Council Invites you
Join the discussion…Create a better understanding of the needs of adults with developmental disabilities and their families as they age. We welcome your input!
WHEN: Thursday, April 28th
TWO SESSIONS: 1 – 4 PM or 6:30 – 9:30 PM
WHERE: Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby
See THE FLYER for more information.
Vancouver Region Annual Leisure Fair: This free event is a great opportunity to explore the displays and demonstrations of recreational resources that welcome children with disabilities. Please see THE FLYER for more information.
WHEN: Thursday, May 5th 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
WHERE: Thunderbird Community Centre, 2311 Cassiar St, Vancouver
*NEW* Story Power Workshop: with David Roche and Marlena Blavin Storytelling workshops for self-advocates and families. Learn story-telling skills to boost your advocacy efforts. Hosted by FSI.
WHEN: Saturday June 11th, 2011, 9 AM – 3 PM
WHERE: BACI Still Creek, 2702 Norland Avenue, Burnaby
COST: FREE!! Lunch and refreshments included. Please see THE FLYER for more information.
Have YOU taken the Family Talks survey yet? Calling all people with disabilities and their families! People with disabilities and their families are actively engaged in discussions to find solutions for today’s challenges. If you are directly affected by disability, please join Family Talks and take the survey. Let your voice be heard and see the survey results this spring! Family Talks is a special project of PLAN.
Election Stuff:
Canadian Association for Community Living: Together we can make disability an election issue.
Get the Vote out 2011! Information and participation guide for self-advocates from BCACL.
Are Children and Youth on the Federal Agenda? First Call’s Federal Election Kit includes
questions for candidates and an overview of issues important to children, youth and families.
Election 2011: The Liberal’s Red Book on Jack Styan’s blogsite or “It’s easy to criticize. It’s more difficult to find solutions.”
Carol Stinson
BACI Family Information and Support
Family Gathering Place
7716 Royal Oak Avenue
Burnaby, BC V5J 4K4
email: family.services@gobaci.com
cell: 604.763.5667 fax: 604.439.0363
web: www.gobaci.com
