West Vancouver, BC - The goal of delivering services to Aboriginal children and youth in more effective and efficient ways will be the focus of a major conference, called the Integration of Services Forum, July 25-26, in Richmond, BC.

Over two hundred people will be in attendance, many of them professionals in the fields of Early Childhood Development, Information Management, Training and Employment, and Governance. By sharing information and expanding their understanding of one another’s work, they will seek ways to bring more efficient service delivery to children and youth, and reform government and community services to make them more responsive to community needs.

Aboriginal parents and service providers, such as teachers and social workers, have consistently pressed for programs that address the physical, intellectual, social, emotional and spiritual growth of children. One of the barriers to achieving this goal, however, has been the lack of coordination and communication between agencies and issues that are clearly connected.

To address this challenge, conference participants, through a series of workshops, will brainstorm such questions as "How do you empower First Nations communities to provide quality services?" and "What does an effective service delivery relationship between First Nations and government look like?" Additionally, through panel discussions, First Nations representatives will discuss the ways that they have

integrated services in their home communities. From insights shared at the forum, a strategy will be drafted for positive change at the local, provincial and federal levels of service delivery.

Cindy Blackstock, forum keynote speaker and Executive Director of the Caring for First Nations Children Society, explains, "The strength of First Nations communities has always been rooted in our relationships with one another. The bringing together of our collective strengths not only prepares us to meet challenges in a respectful and accountable manner, it allows us to live in freedom."

The forum is being hosted by the First Nations Education Steering Committee, Chiefs’ Health Committee, Caring for First Nations Children Society, BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society, and the Aboriginal Childcare Society.