Kelowna

Daycare

We view all children as individuals who bring their own unique ideas, learning styles, and are competent, capable and curious.

We support all aspects of a child’s social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and creative development and we strive for each child to experience a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Our dedicated Early Childhood Educators connect each family’s unique diverse strength, and maintain relationships based on mutual trust, openness and respect. Communication is vital and we encourage two-way dialogue between parents and educators.

To support quality in our programs we invest in our educators and provide professional learning opportunities and encourage reflective practise.

Preschool

Our program provides activities to promote all aspects of a child’s social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and creative development. We strive for each child to experience a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Our dedicated Early Childhood Educators connect each family’s unique diverse strength, and maintain relationships based on mutual trust, openness and respect. Communication is vital and we encourage two-way dialogue between parents and educators.
To support quality in our programs we invest in our educators and provide professional learning opportunities and encourage reflective practise.

After School Programs

After school programs emphasize a sense of belonging, help make positive choices, learn healthy behaviours and build on a child’s strengths encouraging them to reach their potential. Parents often comment that they “trust our staff in caring for their children.” We understand the importance of physical health, social and emotional development, learning, and allowing kids to be themselves in a supportive, safe place where they are encouraged to explore, try new activities, and have a lot FUN!

Recreation Programs

Each Club location offers recreation programs to meet the community needs. Each community location will offer monthly calendars describing the specific activities that can be located on our facebook pages and at the service locations. Examples include activities such as community field trips, sports, BGC Canada clubs programs, life skills, creative arts, leadership and learning.
The Recreation program is open year round at various times based on program offerings. See service location for monthly calendars for specific times and dates.

Parents are responsible for a yearly membership and program fees. Program fees will vary dependent on the program. Financial Subsidies or Canadian Tire Jumpstart funding may be available for eligible families.

Find more info on what your Club is offering by clicking here

Upstream Kelowna

Upstream Kelowna is a preventative approach to youth homelessness and school disengagement. It uses a locally adapted, universal screening tool to identify school aged youth who may be flying under the radar. The confidential Student Needs Assessment identifies risk before crisis hits. The student and their family is then connected to a variety of supports based on their needs and aimed at building resilience and overall well-being.

Upstream was named one of Kelowna’s top 10 essential action plans to end homelessness (Journey Home, 2018), and is one of two pilot programs running in Canada – the other is in Newfoundland.  The BGC Okanagan was selected by the community to lead the project due to our expertise with youth homelessness. BGC Okanagan is investing efforts further upstream than the emergency shelter point with hopes to prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place.

BGC Okanagan and A Way Home Kelowna joined a community of practice with A Way Home Canada, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and Choices for Youth,  Newfoundland. Together, we committed to running the program in line with the National model (Upstream Canada) and participate in research practices that would allow everyone to learn how to best run the project.

Upstream Canada is an adaptation of work that originated in Australia as The Geelong Project (since renamed Upstream Australia), which has demonstrated a 40% reduction in youth homelessness and 20% reduction in school drop-out rates.

As the lead community-based organization, BGC Okanagan is responsible for convening local stakeholders and implementing this collective impact project.  Some services that are offered to youth and families include family mediation, systems navigation, mental health, addictions, and life skills.

Link to more on Upstream Kelowna: Upstream Kelowna recognized with Youth Homelessness Prevention Award

Current local service partners allied with Upstream Kelowna:

• BGC Okanagan
  • Arc Programs
  • The Bridge Youth and Family Services
  • The Foundry
  • School District 23
• Upstream has the potential to have far-reaching impacts as we expand across communities and school districts. The evidence gained through this project will help our community identify gaps in services, opportunities for improvement and advocacy, as well as open doors for reducing stigma and raising awareness.For further information on the Upstream Canada Model, please visit: https://www.homelesshub.ca/UpstreamCanada

  For any inquiries on how to participate, or to learn more, please reach out to Philippa Putlitz – Upstream Program Coordinator: [email protected]

Youth Recreation

Positive adult mentors guided by the Clubs’ core values build self-esteem and encourage healthy relationships while instilling the importance of mutual respect, teamwork and being socially responsible. While youth may just need a safe and supportive place to “hang out”, we also offer recreational opportunities, games, creative arts and special events.

Our programs are accessible, affordable and address community needs. Youth can be referred to other supports within BGC Okanagan as needed. 

Reconnect

Reconnect Counselors work with youth ages 13 – 18 and their families. Supports available through Reconnect are adaptable; occur one-to-one, in a group and by referral; on-site and in the community. Supports range from:
Prevention work that can ‘turn off the tap’ to youth homelessness while youth are still in their home:

• Strengthening families
• Caregiver-teen mediation
• Identifying risk early
• Building resilience

Reducing risk and enhancing protective factors:

• Developing coping skills
• Brief Intervention Counseling
• Navigating health systems and community resources
• One on one support and counseling
• Developing parent skill set
• Collaborative and Proactive Solutions
• Parent-teen mediation
• Referrals to community supports and services
• Parents Together parenting program

Crisis intervention and supports

• Safety planning
• Shelter diversion
• Harm reduction
• Advocacy
• Access to housing and income support
• Access to health interventions
• Street outreach

While Reconnect is an excellent program to support families in crisis, it is equally important to refer families who haven’t had a breakdown yet, but are at risk of one.

Restorative Justice

Through the guidance of trained staff and volunteers; the youth, their guardian, the person(s) harmed and other supports discuss the effects of the youth’s actions and how to repair the harm done. The person harmed by crime often feels excluded from the criminal justice process, which focuses on what laws were broken, who is to blame and how the offender should be punished. The needs of the person harmed are not always addressed and their voices may never be heard.

One benefit to the Restorative Justice Program is that the person harmed gets an opportunity to tell their story, express how they were harmed and address the youth. This allows the person harmed to voice their concerns and give input into the solutions. The restorative justice process allows the root cause of the offence to be addressed by providing relevant, realistic and restorative solutions to repairing the harm.

These solutions are individualized and can include, participating in skill-based programming, repairing property damage, writing an apology letter, completing volunteer hours, attending counselling, etc. Referrals are received through RCMP, loss prevention, Bylaw, community members and BGC Okanagan, for youth ages 12-24 years. This program serves Lake Country, Kelowna, West Kelowna, and Peachland.

When asked what was most helpful about the restorative justice process here is what some participants had to say:

• “How caring and understanding the facilitators were towards me, especially with my feelings and emotions.” – Youth

• “That they are going to get him the help he needs.” – Supporter

• “The understanding and comfortable atmosphere, good facilitators.” – Guardian

Outreach Mental Health

The services are adaptable and occur one on one or in group; both on site and in the community. The service is Relationship based, Trauma Informed, Strengths based and includes Families and Natural Supports focusing on developing and enhancing coping skills and strategies. Crisis Management skills, Relationship and Communication skills, Mood Management skills and Mindfulness strategies as well as Safety Planning, Harm Reduction Education and System Navigation are also available through this program.

Life Skills Program

Reunite

In partnership with the Canadian Bus Association and Greyhound Canada, Operation Come Home is able to help runaway youth. Greyhound Canada provides 125 one way tickets per year to help these youth travel home safely to their families.
If you are or know, a homeless youth who could live with family in another part of Canada, BGC Okanagan Reconnect program can help.

Program for Children and Teens with Support Needs

Program Streams
The Direct Support Stream provides service to children who need more support integrating into programs with an individual worker. Depending on the needs of the children workers may work 1:1, 1:2, or 1:3.

The Club Support Stream focuses on assisting children with support needs in fully integrating into BGC Okanagan programs and assists existing staff with children who are eligible for CYSN services.

The Community Support Stream assists children with support needs in participating in extracurricular activities outside of their home or the BGC Okanagan setting. This could include: sports, after school activities (ie. Yearbook clubs, employment, etc.). Transportation is provided to and from activities.

The Life Skills Program Stream provides youth ages 13-18 the opportunity to learn vital skills associated with living alone or semi independently, preparing them for the future as an adult. The Life Skills program blends daily living, personal/social and work related skills into integrated fun lessons designed to increase self- confidence and build important community connections.

Program hours
Our programs are designed to meet the diverse needs of families. Program times and frequency can be tailored to meet the needs of each family.

Eligibility
To be eligible for the program the following criteria must be met:
• Children must be referred to the program through MCFD.
• Children referred are between the ages of 5 – 19
• Children live within the Central Okanagan
• There are no significant medical needs

For more information on our programs for children and teens with support needs contact your nearest Club location:

West Kelowna – 250-768-3049
Kelowna – 250-762-3914
Rutland – 250-765-3345

Community Kitchen

Parent and Tot Programs

Our programs are inclusive in an environment of acceptance and allow time to strengthen parent-child connection. Some activities:

• Running and Jumping
• Circle, Rhymes and Story Time
• Music and Movement
• Arts and Crafts
• Guest instructors

Family Support Program

Foster Parent Support

BGC Okanagan Foster Parent Support program provides direct, outreach-oriented support to foster caregivers and the children/youth in their care. Foster families can expect that the support workers will work directly with the family in their home, in the community or via phone. This program is intended to be flexible in meeting the unique needs of each foster family served and can offer a variety of supports including teaching conflict resolution skills, de-escalation techniques, collaborative problem solving and using strength based and trauma informed approaches.

Participants of the program have had this to say about their experience:
“The Support Worker does wonders for me, in a five minute call he can totally change my perspective on things. A Miracle worker he is.”- Foster Caregiver