At the Belonging Network, belonging is not just something we talk about. It’s something we actively work toward. We believe everyone deserves to feel seen, supported, and valued.
Our IDEAA statement outlines our commitments to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access, and Advocacy. These commitments shape how we support permanency families, youth in and from care, and the people and communities around them.
Inclusion
The Belonging Network strives to be here for everyone in our big, beautiful community: adoptive and permanency families of all kinds, youth in and from government care, and many others who care for and support them. We embrace a diversity of perspectives. We work with intention to create welcoming spaces where people can come together around shared experiences, while being kind and respectful of their differences and the uniqueness of every individual.
Diversity
We began 50 years ago as an association created by and for adoptive parents, and have a long history of supporting diversity, including children and youth of different backgrounds and abilities, and families of every type. Today, we strive to better reflect our expanded community of service users. To understand and meet their greatest needs for support, learning, and connection, we gather their feedback through a variety of channels. We seek to reflect their different perspectives through our members, Board and staff, consultants, advisory groups, and partnerships.
Equity
Children and youth in need of permanency and youth aging out of government care have already had tough breaks in their young lives. They face challenges that many of their peers do not. The caring adults who open their hearts and homes to them also face unique challenges. We cannot take away their suffering, but we can do our best to help families support their healing through trauma-informed approaches. We also help level the playing field for youth from care by connecting them with a wide range of supports. Because many of the people we serve have limited financial resources, we fundraise to keep our offerings low- or no-cost, and we use technology to make them accessible from anywhere in the province.
Access and Advocacy
We want all the supports we offer to be as widely available as possible across BC. We achieve that by providing most of our services virtually, through a range of technology platforms and a mix of on-demand and real-time options. We use plain language and explain newer terms like “permanency.” We also employ technology to remove other barriers to access.
Because of our arm’s-length relationship with government and the trusted relationships we hold with permanency families and youth, we are uniquely positioned to listen to and speak about their needs to decision makers. With permission, we gather and share aggregate, non-identifying information about those we serve, including survey responses. We also work with other organizations to advocate for changes to systems and policies within our areas of expertise and as appropriate.
Truth and Reconciliation
We have made additional commitments to contribute to truth and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. These commitments guide our learning, relationships, and actions and are informed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.
Click here to read our commitments to Truth and Reconciliation.