A former Child Care. Worker
with Human Resources is ques-
tioning why the provincial
government has decided not to
feed hungry school children but
to put $2 million towards the
salaries of “‘miracle workers’’.
Terrace’s Gail Murray was
criticizing the new Family Ad-
vancement Program recently an-
nounced by Social Services and
Housing Minister Claude Rich-
mond. These ‘‘unlicensed”’
workers will be hired through
contracts with non-profit socie-
ties throughout the province to
counsel parents who have dif-
ficulty budgeting or. looking
after their children. The $2
million budgeted for this fiscal
year will be used for administra-
tion and salary costs for the ap-
proximately 80 new positions.

by Charlynn Toews

In response to the announce-
ment, B.C, Teachers’ Federa-
tion president Elsie McMurphy
was quoted as saying, ‘I can im-
agine these family inspectors

counselling (the parents) on how .

to make stone soup.’’ She said
she expects ‘teachers will con-
tinue to be reluctant to pass on

the names of poor children to
the workers.

Terrace District Teachers
Association president Helmut
Giesbrecht said that teachers in

counselling situations are bound

by a code of ethics that may
make such referrals difficult.
Skeena Secondary counsellor
Mary Papais agrees. “‘It puts
counsellors in an awkward posi-
tion. If you violate a student’s
privacy OT confidentiality,
they'll stop talking to you and
you can’t help them, and it
could put you into a legally bad
position. I would ‘first ask the
student’s permission to consult
the parents, then the parents’
permission to refer them to the
workers. If it means violating a
confidence, I won't do it.””
‘The government also envi-
sions self-referrals and referrals
by public health nurses, Eleanor
Bell at the Skeena Public Health
unit says public health nurses
already follow a policy of con-
tacting parents for their consent
before referring family members
to a social worker. ‘‘There’s no
point referring them if they’re
embarassed, or if you don’t have
their permission. They’re not

Change rooms offered

for Christy

“Dave Hull of the Terrace
Northmen Rugby. Club ap-
proached city council June 13
with a plan to upgrade Christy
Park with a storage and
changeroom facility, but. the
club has to wait a while before
getting an answer.

Hull said the club wants to
enter a bid for the 3,600 square

foot nurses’ residence at Mills

Memorial Hospital, but the deal
hinged on the city’s approval to
place the building on the north-
east corner of the park. He said
the club is willing to pay all costs
for moving the building and
making hydro, sewer and water
connections, but he added that
there is some urgency as the bids
on the residence closed June 21,
“think this would be a
positive addition to the park,”’
said Hull. He said that when
complete the building would
have sufficient room for storage
for several different groups and
would include changerooms,
washrooms and showers. He ad-
ded that the facility would be
available to all park users and
any group interested in entering
into the project with them would
be welcome,
Alderman Bob Cooper
pointed out to Hull that the
location they were suggesting

tala District |
aide 8&8
<— (Terrace)

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR
A SCHOOL DISTRICT NAME CHANGE

_ Board of School Trustees
School District No. 88 (Terrace)

Park

would be a difficult area to ser-
vice, and water and sewer con-
nections may have to be made at
Eby St., one block away.
Terrace Youth Soccer presi-

dent Don Highe told council |

that he had been involved in the
Christy Park development since

1981, and although they had

originally planned five soccer
fields, council only approved
three. .

There is room to add two
more fields in the future, but the
Northmen’s proposal would be
situated on some of that land.

Highe said the rugby club had
put $1,000 towards the cost of
the park and made a commit-
ment for another $1,000, but
they had done nothing for the
development itself — Youth
Soccer had done all the plan-
ning, fundraising and develop-
ment work.

However, the Northmen will
have to wait for council’s deci-
sion. Not only was the matter
referred to the Recreation Com-
mittee and the Public Works
Department for study and
recommendation, it was also
decided that there should be

public input on any development -

such as this. An answer to the
Northmen’s request is far in the
future.

New government program need

going to show.”

The program has also been
criticized because the 80 un-
licensed workers won't fill the
gap left by cutting more than
200 family support workers in
1983. Gail Murray said that in
her position she was able to

build relationships with parents

through contact with their
children in the schools, on the
street, and at home. “If they
hadn’t taken these programs
away in the first place, there
wouldn’t be the problems we’re
having now.” She speculates
that the family advancement
workers won't earn the $13.99
an hour she was paid through
Human Reources, as non-profit
societies may not be able to
afford anything but low wages.

Murray also said the grocery
dollar stretched further in the
early 1980s when she was a fami-
ly support worker, but as the
cost of living has risen and in-
come assistance remains low,
these new workers will have to
be “miracle workers’’ to help
parents make ends meet.

A report released by the Social
Planning and Research Council
in early June shows that families

on welfare don’t have enough
income to feed themselves.
Using information provided by
Richmond’s ministry, the report
said families were using part of
their food money to pay rent, as
the shelter allowance is often too
low.

The family advancement
workers are expected to have a
high level of knowledge of pro-
grams in other government min-
istries as well as assisting parents
to receive crisis grants from fi-
nancial assistance workers. They
will also ensure that entitlement
to benefits, like Unemployment
Insurance cheques, are ‘‘pro-
cessed quickly as needed.’* They
will refer parents to existing ser-
vices and programs. -

Bill Anderson of the local
Social Services and Housing of-
fice explained the system cur-
rently in place already informs
income assistance recipients
about the availablity of crisis
grants and can provide tempor-
ary assistance when clients are
waiting for their Unemployment
Insurance. But clients may be
new to the system, too em-
barassed to ask for help, or may
not hear what they are being told

Pulsar
Sportscar! —

Terrace Review — Wednesday, June 22, 1988 21

s “miracle workers’’

about assistance available to

them. He hopes the new family

advancement workers will be
seen as non-threatening and ap-
proachable by such clients.

Anderson said it will probably
be mid-summer before our area
would see any of the new work-
ers. “We'll have to wait and see

‘what proposals come in through

the region and are approved by
Victoria.”’ He suggests local
Community Services societies
might become involved, or
perhaps new societies would
form for this specific purpose.
How much of the $2 million will
be spent on salaries may depend
on the number of new societies
formed. A new office may re-
quire more administration
money for setting up operations,
paying rent, and so forth.

Premier Bill Vander Zalm had
rejected the solution of directly

feeding hungry school children

in Vancouver, where the prob-
lem was first identified, saying
such an approach was socialistic
and wouldn’t work.

ADDED SECUHITY PLAN

NORTHERN |S

Highway 16 East Terrace, B.C\, D.L, 8045

Designed with gutsy looks and versi
1987 debut. There is only one style —
unique modular design provides a T-Top roof with rem
open-air convertible. The hatchback lid is easily remove
styled perfect for play, but you'll notice heads turn too, when you pull into

FROM $15,777.

* 6 year/100,000 km Power Train Warranty
x 3 year/é0,000 km Bumper to Bumper Warranty

NISSAN

Available in Pulsar NX,
XE and 16 Valve 125-HP SE Model

Style, Comfort; and the
- Warranty Makes it
Even Better!

a
i

Ley |
SE ar |
359°

"88 PULSAR NX

atile comfort, Pulsar was named Sportscar ol the Year, only months after its
3-door hatchback coupe. It’s a 2-seater with a rear bench lor added use. The
oveable steel panels transforming the sporty hatchback to an
d for carrying cargo, bikes, windsurfers.. you name it. Pulsar
the ottice.

Ne’

the affordable
_ Sportscar