It’s no secret that families living in poverty are struggling now more than ever. Child, youth, and family poverty skyrocketed in BC by over 16% based on the most recent statistics; things are not getting better, they are getting worse. As the Centre for Family Equity (CFE) continues to press forward with our goal of eliminating family poverty in BC, it’s essential to gain a timely understanding of what is causing so many families to scramble to make ends meet each month.
At the heart of CFE’s work is a deep connection with our members, low-income parents and caregivers throughout BC, and our community-engaged model. Every two years, CFE undertakes a Listening Campaign to hear directly from our members about what their families are struggling with. This process shapes our strategic focus and direction and mobilizes members as we advocate for change to address child, youth, and family poverty, ensuring our work is shaped by the input and current lived experience of families in BC.
Today, we are releasing our Listening Campaign 2025 Report, sharing what we learned our members need in the face of high costs of living.
- Parents and caregivers need more and better access to quality, family-supporting jobs.
- Our social safety net continues to leave many families behind in deep poverty.
- Too many systems and services still have inequitable, unfair access barriers impacting low-income families.
- Families need more equitable access to health care and quality housing to lead healthy lives.
We are happy to announce our refreshed and refined focus areas to address family poverty through to 2028:
- Access to Quality Work
- Equitable Systems and Services
- Strong Social Security
- Health Equity
CFE takes a human rights approach focused on the social determinants of health. Check out our renewed commitment to tackling systemic change focused on three focused areas: Gender Equality, Disability Justice, and Racial Equity.
Read the full report here.
About CFE’s Listening Campaign
A Listening Campaign is a form of community engagement to build community, mobilize engagement, and identify concerns and priorities.
In February and March of 2025, we held four focus groups (two in Burnaby, two online) and conducted one-on-one interviews with members unable to attend. A survey was completed by all participants with detailed questions, which also gathered important demographic data from all participants. In total, 50 members from 16 locations in BC participated in the 2025 Listening Campaign.