Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee

The mandate of the Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee (CYFAC) is to advise Council and staff on matters that relate to children, youth and families.

If requested by the Court, the CYFAC is also mandated as a family court committee under the British Columbia Provincial Court Act and as a youth justice committee under the Youth Justice Act.

Meeting updates: 

Meetings may be convened by electronic means as authorized by Section 14.14 of the Procedure By-law. Advisory Bodies may elect to conduct their meetings in person, by electronic means, or as a hybrid of the two. 

If attending in person, please continue to respect the personal space of others.

Virtual meetings use Cisco WebEx Events. No software download is required. In the event of a virtual meeting, use the link below to view the meeting live through your web browser.

A link to join the live meeting broadcast is posted 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

 

Next meeting: TBD

Event Password: CYFAC

Join by phone (audio only)

Join the meeting

1-604-646-8916
1-855-699-3239 (Canada - toll free)

Access code:

Consent - Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy

To view or participate in meetings virtually, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information outside Canada as described below. The City of Vancouver collects your personal information in accordance with section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for purposes of organizing and administering advisory body meetings. For virtual advisory body meetings, your contact information will be shared with the City’s web conferencing provider, Cisco WebEx. Information submitted to WebEx will be stored on servers in the United States and may be accessed in the United States or internationally for technical support purposes. If you have questions about the collection of this information, please contact the director of access to information and privacy by emailing privacy@vancouver.ca or mailing a letter to 453 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4.

Following the meeting, minutes will be posted online and can be found in the ‘Meetings’ tab below.

Mandate and scope

  • Advises Council and staff on the development, implementation, and assessment of City policies and services related to children, youth, and families
  • Advises Council and staff on enhancing access and inclusion for children, youth, and families
  • Identifies opportunities to empower children and youth to have a voice in civic decision making
  • Works collaboratively with counterparts from other civic agencies to identify opportunities for joint action on issues of mutual interest
  • Works co-operatively with external agencies and groups whose activities affect constituent communities
  • Engages in outreach to disseminate information and encourage participation from constituent communities

Meeting and administrative procedures

  • The Children, Youth, and Families Advisory Committee holds six regular meetings per year, in addition to working sessions generally scheduled during intervening months throughout the year.
  • Type A Advisory Committees may, at their discretion, establish sub-committees focused on relevant topics of interest, non-members may participate in sub-committees and attend regular meetings if invited.
  • A member who is absent from more than two consecutive regular meetings without a leave of absence is deemed to have resigned.

Remuneration

  • Type A Advisory Committee members and alternate members are eligible to receive reimbursement for certain meeting-related expenses.
  • Non-member subcommittee participants are not eligible to receive reimbursement.
  • A light meal will be provided to Type A Advisory Committee members attending in-person regular meetings held over lunch or dinner hours.

Eligibility

Persons appointed to a Type A Advisory Committee shall meet the following essential criteria:

  • Not be employed by the City of Vancouver
  • Live or work in Vancouver, or have a significant body of experience with issues related to the mandate of the advisory body in Vancouver
  • Have connections to relevant communities, groups, and/or organizations in Vancouver
  • Be able to demonstrate relevant experience or knowledge, abilities, and skills related to the mandate of the advisory body
  • Be able to work in a team environment with intercultural sensitivity

Term limit

Beginning in 2019, no member of the public shall serve for more than eight consecutive years on the same Type A Advisory Committee. A former member is eligible for reappointment after one year of non-membership.

Full guidelines

Membership

The Children, Youth, and Families Advisory Committee is temporarily inactive, pending Council approval of terms of reference in early 2023.

Liaisons

  • Council Liaison:
  • Park Board Liaison:
  • School Board Liaison:
  • Staff Liaison:

Terms and Membership Composition

Persons appointed to a Type A Advisory Committee shall meet the following essential criteria:

  • Not be employed by the City of Vancouver;
  • Live or work in Vancouver, or have a significant body of experience with issues related to the mandate of the advisory body in Vancouver; and
  • Have connections to relevant communities, groups, and/or organizations in Vancouver;
  • Be able to demonstrate relevant experience or knowledge, abilities and skills related to the mandate of the advisory body.
  • Be able to work in a team environment with intercultural sensitivity.

Composition:

  • 21 members of the public (quorum is a majority of appointed members) representing the following three age groups in equal thirds:
    • Between 10 and 15 at the time of appointment;
    • Between 16 and 21 at the time of appointment; and
    • 22 and older;
  • Up to 2 non-voting Council liaison (appointed by Mayor)
  • Up to 2 non-voting staff liaisons (appointed by City Manager)
  • 1 non-voting Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioner liaison and/or staff liaison (optional)
  • 1 non-voting Vancouver School Board Trustee liaison (optional)
  • 1 non-voting Vancouver Public Library staff liaison (optional)
  • 1 non-voting Vancouver Police Department staff liaison (optional)

Length of term:

  • Term ends immediately before the first Monday after November 1 in the year of a general local election. However, no regular meeting shall be held between the last day of the nomination period and general voting day.
  • Members are appointed until December 31, 2024, at which point appointments are automatically renewable to the end of the term, and recruitment shall be conducted to fill any vacancies arising.
  • Beginning in 2019, no member of the public shall serve in more than eight consecutive years on the same Type A Advisory Committee. A former member is eligible for reappointment after one year of non-membership.

In addition to the regular meetings listed here, the Committee also meets several times per year for informal working sessions. These are private meetings. Please contact the Meeting Coordinator for more information.

2022 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
January 27, 2022 Agenda Minutes
March 31, 2022 Agenda Minutes
May 19, 2022 Agenda Minutes
July 21, 2022 Agenda Minutes
September 22, 2022 Agenda Minutes

2021 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
February 25, 2021 Agenda Minutes
April 22, 2021 Agenda Minutes
May 27, 2021 Cancelled  
July 29, 2021 Agenda Minutes
October 28, 2021 Agenda Minutes
December 16, 2021 Agenda Minutes

2020 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
January 30, 2020  Agenda Minutes
March 26, 2020 Cancelled  
May 21, 2020 Cancelled  
June 25, 2020 Agenda Minutes
September 24, 2020 Agenda Minutes
November 19, 2020 Agenda Minutes

2019 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
June 27, 2019 Agenda Minutes
September 26, 2019 Agenda Minutes
November 28, 2019 Agenda Minutes

2018 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
January 11, 2018 Agenda Minutes
April 26, 2018 Agenda Minutes
May 31, 2018 Agenda Minutes
July 26, 2018 Agenda Minutes
October 25, 2018 Agenda Minutes

2017 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
January 19, 2017 Agenda Minutes
March 23, 2017 Agenda Minutes
May 11, 2017 Agenda Minutes
July 20, 2017 Agenda Minutes
September 14, 2017 Agenda Minutes
November 9, 2017 Agenda Minutes

2016 meetings, agendas, and minutes

The meetings listed below are open to the public.

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
February 18, 2016 Agenda Minutes
April 14, 2016 Agenda Minutes
May 12, 2016 (Special) Agenda Minutes
June 2, 2016 Agenda Minutes
July 7, 2016 Agenda Minutes
September 8, 2016 - cancelled Agenda Minutes
November 10, 2016 Agenda Minutes

2015 meetings, agendas, and minutes

The meetings listed below are open to the public.

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
April 23, 2015 Agenda Minutes
June 18, 2015 Agenda Minutes
September 24, 2015 Agenda Minutes
November 26, 2015 Agenda Minutes

2014 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
February 27, 2014 Agenda Minutes
May 22, 2014 Agenda Minutes
September 11, 2014 Agenda Minutes
November 27, 2014 Agenda Minutes

2013 meetings, agendas, and minutes

Meeting date Agenda Minutes
October 30, 2013 Agenda Minutes

2019-2020 in Review

An overview of the committee's accomplishments in 2019-2020, along with future goals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no Council of Councils event was held.

2017 in Review

An overview of the committee's 2017 accomplishments and future goals as presented at the Council of Council's on October 12, 2017.

2017-2018 Work Plan

The 2017-2018 Work Plan summarizes the high priority objectives for the committee term and establishes an action plan to achieve those objectives.

2016 in Review

An overview of the committee's 2016 accomplishments and future goals as presented at the Council of Council's on November 9, 2016.

2012-2014 Term in Review

An overview of the committee's closing term accomplishments and recommendations for continuation of the work was presented at the Council of Council's December 2014.

Resources for advisory committee members

Contact the Children, Youth and Families Advisory Committee

Staff Contact

TBA

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