Frequently Asked Questions
	Healthy and happy children like this boy from the Interior, is the goal of the APFA. - Dan Odenbach photo

About the Aboriginal Peoples Family Accord
The Aboriginal Peoples Family Accord (APFA) is working towards securing more input for Aboriginal People, including First Nations, urban communities and the Métis Nation, concerning the well being of children and youth within their communities.

The provincial government provides funding through the Ministry of Children & Family Development (MCFD) to the five separate regions in British Columbia. Services include child protection, adoption, guardianship, youth justice, child-youth mental health, foster care, supported child care, youth services, special needs and Early Childhood Development (ECD).

APFA Transition Coordinator Eliza Terbasket encourages all Aboriginal People, including First Nations on reserve, those living in urban areas and the Métis Nation, to contact Aboriginal Wellness Coordinators and Community Table Coordinators, in each of the five zones within the Interior, for additional information and to provide feedback on how services could be improved.

"I can't stress enough for aboriginal people to participate in this process. Get in touch with APFA staff in your area and share your point of view," said Terbasket who has a background in social work. "The more participation we get, the better."

Aboriginal Wellness Coordinators are working towards improving mental wellness services for those living on and off reserve. Aboriginal Wellness Coordinators include Sandra Young (Okanagan Zone), Kathy Hinter (Shuswap Zone) and Audrey Ward (Lillooet/Lytton/Merritt Zone). The Aboriginal Wellness Coordinators report to APFA Mental Health Manager Janice Murphy (for a zone map, click here).

APFA Community Table Coordinators include Marian Bruyere (Kootenay Zone), Grace Howse (Shuswap Zone), Roger Adolph (Lillooet/Lytton/Merritt Zone), Bob McCuaig (Okanagan Zone) and Cindy Parsons (Cariboo/Chilcotin Zone).

The five community tables will be your voice in how family services are managed in your area. For further information on the Community Table model, contact Community Linkage Manager Allan Weselowski toll-free at 1-866-711-APFA (2732).

Even though the APFA will give Interior Aboriginal people more input into services for their children and youth, Terbasket warns this transformation won't happen overnight. "When the government throws the switch...things will look a lot like they do today. But the difference being, there will be changes which will make a difference in the long run. Nothing this big gets changed overnight. It's a slow process, but it's an important process for Aboriginal People."

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• Political Committee
• Board of Directors
• Staff Profiles
• ACC Flow Chart

More information is available at www.mcf.gov.bc.ca

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