About

The EFry Voices project aimed to recognize and value the perspectives of mothers with young children who were accessing services at the Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver, known as EFry. EFry is a community-based, non-profit organization that supports 15,000 women, girls and children annually, providing affordable housing units, shelters, mental health treatment and parenting programs. Led by Nicole Catherine in partnership with EFry, the project research team engaged 20 mothers who offered solutions to help address barriers to accessing services.

Methodology

• This community-engaged research study centred the voices of mothers with first-hand experience of marginalization, including socioeconomic disadvantage.
• From April to September 2022, the maternal participants generously took part in semi-structured interviews.
• A project advisory group provided their expertise. This group comprised an Indigenous Elder and members of the Fraser Health Authority and the BC Association of Pregnancy Outreach Programs.

Key Findings

Limitations to the provision of current services exist:

• Barriers: Lack of childcare and insufficient information and referrals to available services.
• What helped: Providing childcare services and resource lists online and in-person. Offering mothers access to peer groups.

Programs must focus on whole health:

• Barriers: Many mothers were not provided consistent supports for their mental health and housing needs. Some nutrition programs were inadequate and food options did not reflect cultural diversity.
• What helped: Programs that respected cultural diversity to support overall health. Programs that provided trauma-informed care across services, with clear program plans and offered in small groups.

Clients need to feel safe(er) when using services:

• Barriers: Some mothers felt that programs did not meet their expectations or felt that they experienced unfair treatment.
• What helped: When staff took steps to ensure fair treatment, mothers felt safer using the services.

What This Means

• Helping shape policies: This community partnership created important information to help improve inclusion policies for EFry and similar community groups and non-profits serving women, girls and children.
• Listening to mothers’ voices: Mothers who face marginalization are often left out of decisions on how health and social services are designed and provided. It’s important for researchers to honour the strengths and insights of mothers with lived experience.
• Fixing the bigger system: The study results show that making services easier to access is a system-wide issue. Big changes in how government and non-profit services work together are needed to provide better, more connected support.