Bill McFarland Award Recipient 2018: Adrienne Montani

Adrienne Montani, is best known for her work with the First Call: BC e Advancement of Child Welfare.Child and Youth Advocacy Coalition. She has been with First Call since 2000 and became the Provincial Coordinator in 2005. Prior to working with First Call, Adrienne served as the Child and Youth Advocate for the City of Vancouver, and as Chairperson of the Vancouver School Board for three of her six years as an elected school trustee.

Some of her earlier leadership positions included serving as the executive director of Surrey Delta Immigrant Services Society and of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland.

During Adrienne’s tenure as Provincial Coordinator, First Call has become the leading voice advocating for the children and youth of BC.  One piece of their work, the Child Poverty Report Card, explores the impact of large numbers of children and their families living in poverty. The annual report card contains the latest statistics on child and family poverty in British Columbia. Every year this report card includes a list of recommendations that would make a real difference to the size and depth of BC’s child and family poverty problem.

“Adrienne has dedicated her life to promoting the rights of children and youth, and advancing their welfare”, states Carol Madsen, Parent Support Services Executive Director. She adds, “Adrienne and First call have played an important role in the development of legislation that will improve the welfare of children in BC including the Federal Canada Child Benefit and the Childcare BC program.”