As part of the Provincial Domestic Violence Plan, the Province is investing more than $1.5 million to continue to expand and strengthen supports for those affected by domestic violence in B.C.

BC Housing will receive $250,000 to help with transportation costs for women and children fleeing violence to gain access to the transition and safe houses in rural and remote areas of the province.

The Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC) will receive $350,000 to create and train more Interagency Case Assessment Teams (ICATs) in B.C., and to support existing ICATs with further training throughout the province. ICATs are made up of a team of front-line responders – usually with representation from police, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) and community organizations – who work together to support victims in high-risk domestic violence cases.

The BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres (BCAAFC) will also receive $850,000 to deliver targeted programs and supports to Indigenous communities in B.C, including providing services for perpetrators of domestic violence, and dedicated community supports for women fleeing abusive relationships. This funding follows extensive consultation with Indigenous communities and organizations.

On top of this funding, the Province will invest $60,000 in a new partnership that will bring together EVA BC, BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) and ministry partners to create new training materials for domestic violence front-line workers and encourage collaborative working relationships across the sector. Sessions will be held throughout the province, and will be delivered to staff at MCFD, as well as Delegated Aboriginal Agencies (DAAs).

The Province will continue to invest in domestic-violence supports as it seeks to end domestic violence and make B.C. a safer place to live, work and raise a family.    

Quotes:

Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Children and Family Development –

“We know that the best way to protect children at risk of domestic violence is to help their parents. By enhancing our support for domestic-violence programs across the province, we can provide more victims with the support and stability they need to rebuild their lives after the trauma of an abusive relationship.”

John Rustad, Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation –

“We have heard time and again that we need to find community-based solutions to violence against Aboriginal women. Friendship Centres around the province play a key role in providing the kind of supports that make a difference to victims of violence both at an individual and a community level, and I am very pleased to see them receiving this additional support.”

Leslie Varley, executive director, BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres –

“Indigenous domestic violence is best addressed through Indigenous-specific approaches. This funding supports addressing historical and ongoing experiences of colonial violence that impacts our women and men. Importantly, this funding enables culturally safe and community-led interventions in reducing or preventing domestic violence. This is an important step in supporting Indigenous communities.”

Tracy Porteous, executive director, Ending Violence Association of BC –

“Every member of every family impacted by domestic violence needs to be able to trust that there are people with the right training and there are structures with effective responses in place to intervene. This funding will ensure that there are highly trained teams all across B.C. working collaboratively to assess risk and help manage safety in the best interests of families.”

Quick Facts:

• Each year in B.C. more than 30,000 women and children affected by domestic violence are referred to violence-against-women counselling and outreach programs.
• Government provides more than $70 million per year for prevention and intervention services and programs to help B.C. families involved in domestic violence and other crimes.
• This includes support to more than 160 police-based and community-based victim-services programs and about 250 programs that provide counselling and outreach services to women fleeing violence in their relationships and children who witness abuse.
• Since 2014, the Province has invested more than $6 million in domestic-violence supports through the Provincial Domestic Violence Plan. This funding has supported key areas, including culturally sensitive supports and programs for Indigenous, rural and remote communities, as well as transition houses and intervention programs for perpetrators.
• In 2016, the Province helped more than 12,300 women and children fleeing violence to find safety and shelter through transition houses.
• In 2017-18 it will provide approximately $34.6 million to support more than 830 spaces in transition and safe houses and second-stage housing throughout B.C.
• There are almost 50 ICATs across the province, which have been created as part of the Provincial Domestic Violence Plan.
• A provincewide, toll-free Domestic Violence HelpLine/VictimLink BC information line available in 110 languages, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The information line helped more than 13,000 people in 2015-16.              

Learn More:

Help for victims and witnesses of crime and violence: www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/justice/criminal-justice/bcs-criminal-justice-system/if-you-are-a-victim-of-a-crime   

Vision for a Violence Free BC (factsheet): www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/downloads/Violence_Free_BC.pdf

Provincial Office of Domestic Violence: www.gov.bc.ca/officeofdomesticviolence

Domestic violence programs, services and supports in B.C.: https://news.gov.bc.ca/08358  

#SaySomething (information for witnesses and victims of domestic violence and sexual assault): www.saysomethingbc.ca

VictimLink BC: Call toll-free 1 800 563-0808 or visit: www.victimlinkbc.ca

BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres: www.bcaafc.com/

BC Society of Transition Houses: https://bcsth.ca/

Ending Violence Association of BC (EVABC): http://endingviolence.org/