Core Business Areas

The core business areas below correspond to the Ministry's five departments, with the sole exception of Executive and Support Services core business area which comprise the Corporate Services Department, Deputy Minister's Office and the offices of the Minister and Ministers of State.

1. Local Government

Through the work of the Local Government Department, the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services supports local governments, heritage and public libraries by:

• providing a modern legislative and policy framework;
• facilitating partnerships amongst local governments, as well as between local governments and the province and other jurisdictions;
• making changes to local governance structures and boundaries;
• providing targeted financial support;
• administering infrastructure grant programs.

The Ministry is also responsible for municipal services in the University Endowment Lands.

The Local Government core business area has a budget of $97.5 million for 2004/05 with a staff of 111 full-time equivalents.

2. Housing, Building and Safety

The Housing Policy, Building Policy and Safety Policy and Liaison branches, as well as the Office of the Fire Commissioner comprise the Housing, Building and Safety Department.

Housing and building initiatives are supported through policy and legislation development, as well as by providing funding to the Crown agencies:

• BC Housing Management Commission (BC Housing); and
• Homeowner Protection Office.

The Housing Policy Branch develops provincial housing policy to address issues such as the housing market, the residential construction industry, subsidized housing, seniors' and other special needs housing and homelessness.

The Building Policy Branch provides policy advice on the building regulatory system and administers the British Columbia Building Code.

The Safety Policy and Liaison Branch monitors the effectiveness of the safety regulatory system, providing analysis to the Minister on proposed changes to the system and acting as the liaison between the Province and the BC Safety Authority. The BC Safety Authority is responsible for inspection, certification and licensing of engineering installations, as well as the licensing of technical personnel.

The Office of the Fire Commissioner, develops policy and legislation, provides public safety programs for fire prevention and administers the Fire Code. Government transfers are also provided to Local Assistants to the Fire Commissioner as defined by the Fire Services Act for fires investigated and reported to the Office.

The Housing, Building and Safety Department has a budget for 2004/05 of $161 million with 55 full-time equivalents in staff. Funding transfers to BC Housing account for 88 per cent of the department's budget.¹

3. Aboriginal, Multiculturalism and Immigration

The Aboriginal, Multiculturalism and Immigration Department consists of the Aboriginal Directorate, the Immigration Division, the Settlement and Multiculturalism Branch, the Planning and Resource Management Branch and the Vancouver Agreement Branch.

The Ministry's Aboriginal Directorate coordinates provincial efforts to improve programs and services for Aboriginal people living in British Columbia.

The Ministry's Immigration Division represents the Province's interests regarding immigration through the Canada-British Columbia Agreement for Co-operation on Immigration. It works to reduce barriers to labour market integration experienced by many immigrants and expedites the immigration of highly skilled people (workers, students and entrepreneurs) through the Provincial Nominee Program. The Settlement and Multiculturalism Branch plans, funds, implements and manages anti-racism, multiculturalism and immigrant settlement programs.

Through this department, the Ministry also supports local initiatives through the Vancouver Agreement, a federal/provincial/municipal initiative to support sustainable development in Vancouver, particularly in the city's Downtown Eastside neighbourhood.

The programs above comprise the Aboriginal, Multiculturalism and Immigration Department and have a budget for 2004/05 of $14.6 million with 63 full-time equivalents in staff.

4. Women's Services, Seniors and Child Care

The Women's Services, Seniors and Child Care department consists of the Stopping the Violence Branch, the Women's and Seniors' Policy Branch, the Child Care Policy Branch and the Child Care Programs and Services Division.

The Ministry's Stopping the Violence Branch funds and manages:

• transition house programs for women and children leaving abusive relationships;
• counselling programs for women who have experienced violence and children who witness abuse; and
• initiatives that aim to reduce violence against women and their children.

The Women's and Seniors' Policy Branch provides policy analysis and research support to government on issues that affect women and seniors.

The Ministry supports the child care system in British Columbia through policy development and program administration. It provides operational funding to assist eligible licensed group and family child care providers with the cost of providing care. It also provides funding to lower income parents to offset the cost of child care. Finally, the Ministry certifies early childhood educators and approves early childhood education training programs.

The above services comprise the Women's Services, Seniors and Child Care Department, which has a budget for 2004/05 of $210.1 million with 176 full-time equivalents in staff.

5. Executive and Support Services

The Executive and Support Services department supports Ministry programs by supplying services such as:

• support to and within the Ministers' offices;
• strategic human resources;
• finance and administration;
• information technology;
• corporate policy and planning; and
• information and records management.

This core business area is comprised of the Corporate Services Department, Deputy Minister's office and the offices of the Minister and Ministers of State. It has a budget for 2004/05 of $11.4 million with 86 full-time equivalents in staff.