Article from Parenthèse published on 16 December 2024, in the Parenthèse, Transmission of French Language category.
45th Annual General Meeting: A Time for Gathering and Productive Discussions
The annual general meeting held on November 23 was an opportunity to present to members the achievements of 2023-2024, as well as the major issues on which the Fédération des parents will focus its efforts in the coming year.
In line with the 2020-2025 five-year strategic objectives, management presented the accomplishments of the past year for each of three strategic areas:
- Welcoming and support services for parents
Services to members remain at the heart of the efforts of the Fédération des parents. This year, projects to improve the tools and resources dedicated to members have been developed to better meet their needs, in addition to holding meetings targeting topics of interest intended to equip members in a personalized way. In addition, the member liaison team has grown from one person to two, in order to effectively reach all members across the province.
Francophone parents continue to receive the resources that meet their interests and needs (Francophone baby kits, the Tire-Lire resource centre, the 1 enfant, 2 langues website, etc.) and the services available through the Centre d’appui à la famille et à l’enfance (CAFE), including workshops, information sessions, the Conversations entre parents, etc.
- Support, management, and development of Francophone child care centres
The Fédération des parents has doubled its efforts to meet the growing needs of parents in the early childhood sector by opening a new child care centre, Les pagayeurs, in Golden, and by transferring the management of the garderie Tartine et Chocolat in Vancouver, at the request of the parents’ society that previously managed it. Additional ongoing projects will be announced in due course. The team at Le Phare C.-B. also continues to grow to support the management needs of child care centre teams, as well as their development, particularly through training, in addition to more sustained pedagogical support to continue to enrich our children’s education.
Information about the creation of a Francophone Child Care Resource and Referral (CCRR) was also presented to members. The Francophone CCRR was created thanks to three-year funding from the Ministry of Education and Child Care, which chose the Fédération des parents for its expertise. A team is currently being set up for this. The Francophone CCRR will enhance the child care services offered to parents and guardians, child care professionals, and Francophone child care centres in the province.
- Leadership and representation of parents’ interests and rights
The Fédération continues to represent the interests and rights of parents through the committees on which it sits, to participate in various consultations, and to make representations to ensure that the voice of parents is taken into consideration in all decisions made within various entities. It also continues to work with its provincial and national community partners to advance issues along the education continuum, from early childhood to post-secondary, with the various levels of government.
Election to the Board of Directors
This year, Christian Leclerc was re-elected as President of the Board of Directors for a new two-year term. The team also welcomes a new member, Kenneth White, who has been elected to the position of Member for the South Vancouver Island Region.
The Fédération des parents would like to warmly thank three members who are completing their terms this year: Lucie Vallières, Member for the Metro Vancouver Region, who served on the Board for six years; Michael Cameron, Member for the South Vancouver Island Region; and Marie-Christine Cadieux, Member for the Okanagan-Columbia Region, for their commitment over the past two years.
A look back at the 2024 AGM in pictures
