Background

Location: Vancouver, Canada

Dates: Sept 1999 – May 2000

Partners: N/A

Key Issues: Social Sustainability, Empowerment of Women

Funders: CIDA

Project Description

Mother Centres are common in Germany and Central Europe and serve as a community meeting place for mothers with young children. Typically they combine day care, a drop in coffee shop, and micro-enterprises in a multi-purpose facility geared to low income families. In September 1999, ICSC recruited Penny Kerrigan (Irons) to assess the suitability of the model for aboriginal groups in Canada. ICSC led a study tour of members of the Indian Homemakers of British Columbia, The Prince George Aboriginal Friendship Centre, Old Massett First Nation and the Victoria Native Friendship Centre to view centres in Germany, the Czech Republic and Turkey. The result was general agreement that the model was highly relevant to Canada. Following a long gestation period when funding was a critical drawback, an Aboriginal Mother Centre was incorporated as a society in 2002, in Vancouver, under the auspices of the Indian Homemakers. A vibrant hub of activity for aboriginal women, the AMC provides services, training and runs social enterprises – supplying the delegate bags for the World Urban Forum in 2006, for example.

Final Reports/Publications

Aboriginal Mother Centre Society: Website