Federal Election Advocacy Kits: Child, Youth & Family Issues

Federal Election Kit from First Call

First Call has produced an election kit to support community members in getting children, youth and families on the federal agenda. Organized around First Call's Four Keys to Success for Children and Youth, the election kit:

• identifies ways that advocates can engage with candidates and learn more about issues that are important to their community;

• provides facts about child and youth issues and why they are important;

• describes the federal government's responsibilities to children, youth and families;

• offers sample questions that can be asked at all candidates meetings, in the media, or via e-mail correspondence with candidates.

Given the results of the August 29 poll by Angus Reid and the Toronto Star naming poverty as the fourth most important issue identified by Canadians in determining which party to vote for in the next federal election, it is our hope that the community will have the ear of candidates when voicing concerns over the stubborn persistence of child and family poverty in Canada and BC in particular.

First Call would like to see children and youth high on the agenda of all federal parties, and encourages community members, parents and advocates to communicate their concerns to their candidates for Parliament and federal party leaders.

Visit www.firstcallbc.org to download the 2008 Federal Election Kit, background materials and resources from First Call and other organizations.