WHEREAS every British Columbian depends on social services, healthcare, justice and education services; AND WHEREAS our communities are partners in the delivery of many of these services and are facing increasingly complex social challenges requiring coordination between multiple social ministries of government, municipalities and the community agencies and organizations that deliver services to the public: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM call upon the Premier to begin a consultation with British Columbians to initiate the development of a social policy framework that will set out key policy directions, values, priorities, roles and expectations, and guide the creation of public policy to meet our social needs now and into the future.
Ministry of Social Development Social Innovation Government is interested in supporting municipalities to better address complex social challenges faced by communities in BC. Government recently undertook a comprehensive three-month consultation with British Columbians to better understand what we, as a society, can do to decrease barriers and increase accessibility for people living with disabilities in BC. This consultation, led by government together with representatives from the disability and business communities, resulted in Accessibility 2024, a 10-year action plan focused on making BC the most progressive province in Canada for people living with disabilities by 2024. While there are no plans to initiate a consultation on the development of a social policy framework, government will continue to work collaboratively between ministries and with community partners to build a strong British Columbia where we find the right balance between providing supports and encouraging independence.