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The Mount Pleasant Family Centre is looking for committed adult volunteers who are interested in playing with children in the playroom setting. We need volunteers during our morning drop-ins: Monday - Thursday 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM. Volunteers must complete a criminal record check before beginning.

If you are available and interested, please speak to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., our Executive Director.

A few days ago, the City of Vancouver launched their “Talk Healthy City for All” engagement process for the Healthy City Strategy. Please share your bold and innovative ideas for reaching the Strategy’s targets over the next decade - on their online forum, through social media, at in-person ideas labs, or by hosting your own event.

Visit www.vancouver.ca/healthycity4all for more details - watch the video, check out the goals and targets, sign up for a SoapBox account and start posting your best and boldest ideas (and vote, comment and add to others). City staff and the Healthy City for All Leadership Table will be listening.

Plus, you could win a chance to discuss your idea with local and global social innovators at the Social Innovation Exchange Ideas Festival on May 30, or learn additional skills to turn your idea into action with a scholarship to attend the THNK Creative Leadership workshop hosted by FUEL on May 30!

In 2015, the BC government is introducing the new BC Early Childhood Tax Benefit to improve the affordability of child care and assist families with the cost of raising young children. The BC Early Childhood Tax Benefit, which is part of the Province’sEarly Years Strategy, is a tax-free monthly payment of up to a maximum of $55 per month – or $660 dollars per year – for each child under the age of six.

Benefits are based on the number of children in the family and the family's net income. The maximum benefit will be available to eligible families with family net incomes under $100,000. The benefit will start to phase out at $100,000 and will be fully phased out at $150,000. About 140,000 families will be eligible to receive the full benefit, while an additional 40,000 families with family net incomes over $100,000 will receive a partial benefit.

This benefit will be administered on a monthly basis through the Canada Child Tax Benefit system, withpayments starting in April 2015.To be eligible to receive the benefit, families must file their 2013 personal income tax returns even if they have no income to report.

For more information on the BC Early Childhood Tax Benefit, please visit the Ministry’s website at:http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/tax_benefit.htm.

During our drop-in times on Wednesday, April 16, we will be celebrating Easter with some crafts and a visit from the Easter Bunny!

Please bring a few wrapped chocolate eggs for the Easter Bunny to share with everyone!

Here are pictures of our winter celebration.

Here's our Halloween album in a video.