Cameray Child and Family Services

03/21/2026

Wishing a joyful Eid al-Fitr to followers and community, from Cameray Child and Family Services.
🌙

03/20/2026

We had a wonderful time celebrating Nowruz at our Early Years Cultural Connections drop-in!

Families enjoyed a beautiful Haft Sin display and a felt campfire, both kindly borrowed from the YMCA Child Care Resource and Referral Lending Library, along with delicious Iranian kebabs from Suren, a local restaurant.

One of our casual staff members, Fatima, shared the tradition of Chaharshanbe Suri…an ancient Persian practice symbolizing the transition from the darkness of winter to the light of spring by jumping over fire to release negativity and welcome the new year with positivity. After her demonstration, staff, parents, and children all joined in the experience together.

We wish all members of our community who celebrate a joyful and prosperous Nowruz!

03/19/2026

10km through Vancouver for an incredible cause. 🏃‍♀️
TAVANCA is proud to sponsor Team Cameray at the Vancouver Sun Run 2026!

Child and Family Services supports children and families across Burnaby and New Westminster, providing counselling, crisis support, parenting education and school mentoring to kids and families when they need it most.

This year their team is lacing up and running 10km through Vancouver to fundraise for their community programs. And we are cheering them on every step of the way. 🧡

Want to help motivate them across the finish line? Every donation goes directly to supporting children and families in our community!

Click the link to donate and support Team Cameray on their official website 👉https://www.cameray.ca/support-cameray/fundraising-events/support-cameray-at-sun-run-2026/

Let's show Vancouver what community looks like! 💪

03/18/2026

A team of 16 Cameray staff, family and friends are joining the 2026 Vancouver Sun Run!

Together, they'll run and walk the 10km route around Vancouver to come together as a team and show their support for our work. They are also fundraising to help support even more children and families.

Thank you to our team sponsor Tavanca Networks Inc. for getting our fundraising off to a great start, and now you can help encourage them across the finish line by donating here: https://www.cameray.ca/support-cameray/fundraising-events/support-cameray-at-sun-run-2026/

03/11/2026

Cameray Child and Family Services is seeking passionate and knowledgeable individuals to join our Board of Directors. Candidates with experience in fund development, philanthropy, donor engagement, or community partnerships are especially encouraged to apply.

Time Commitment
• Approximately 3–5 hours per month, including meeting preparation.
• Attendance at the Annual General Meeting and occasional special events.
• Two-year term

What We Offer Board Members
• An opportunity to make a meaningful impact on children, youth, and families.
• A collaborative, values‑driven Board committed to good governance.
• Leadership development and nonprofit governance experience.
• A chance to contribute your skills to a well‑respected community organization.

Read more about the role and how to apply here: https://www.cameray.ca/boardopportunities/

03/10/2026

Nobody's Perfect registration now open.

FRIDAYS, April 10 - May 29, 1:00 - 3:00pm
2038 Rosser Ave, Burnaby

A Free 8-Session, facilitated, community-based parenting program for parents of children from birth to age five.
Join an interactive program where you can:
• MEET with other parents of young children (ages 0-5)
• SHARE questions or concerns and ideas about being a parent
• LEARN about child development, safety, health and behaviour
• TALK about real-life parenting experiences
• WORK together with the support of a trained facilitator
• DISCOVER ways of positive parenting

Childminding is provided for children under 6.

Register here: https://mycommunity.bc.ymca.ca/s/ccrr

03/06/2026

Today is the last chance to join our Sun Run team 🏃‍♀️‍➡️

Get in touch by DM or comment below to get the details to join!

Community Fun for Everyone! Welcome to the 40th Edition of the Vancouver Sun Run presented by Herbaland Naturals

02/27/2026

You have until March 6 to join our Sun Run team!

Cameray staff, family and friends are joining the 2026 Vancouver Sun Run on Sunday, April 19, and we would love you to join us!

Walk, jog, wheel or run to the 10km route while showing your support for Cameray with a team shirt.

Just DM us, comment below or email communications@cameray.ca and we will provide instructions how to join our team 💛

02/23/2026

We have a busy calendar this March at Cameray.

Join Spirit of the Children Society at the Hlúlú Family Drop-in on Mondays, or visit our regular Rosser drop-in on Thursdays.

Register now for Circle of Security and for sessions on Origami, Toilet Training, Parenting Styles and Brain Development. There will also be a discussion group for Korean-born parents, raising children in Canada, on March 5.

View all events and register here: https://www.cameray.ca/calendar/month/2026-03/

02/20/2026

Our book of the month is "The Memory Tree" by Britta Teckentrup. With the tragic incident in Tumbler Ridge and conflict around the world, parents and other adults may find themselves having to discuss death and grief with children.

The concepts of life and death can feel abstract and confusing for young minds, while adults themselves often struggle to process the complex emotions that accompany loss—especially when a death feels sudden or hard to understand. “The Memory Tree” offers a gentle and accessible way to approach these conversations, presenting grief as something that can be shared rather than faced alone.

The story begins with Fox lying peacefully in the forest. The other animals gather around him, sensing that he has died. At first, they experience deep sadness and loss. Gradually, one by one, they begin sharing their favorite memories of Fox—how he cared for them, helped them, and brought warmth and joy into their lives. As each memory is spoken, a small seed falls to the ground where Fox rests. Over time, these seeds grow into a beautiful tree.

The growing tree symbolizes the cycle of life—that death is not an isolated event but part of nature’s ongoing rhythm of endings and new beginnings. Though death separates us physically from the ones we love, the ways we have engaged with one another—the love given, the care shown, and the moments shared—create sustainable and transformable “essentials.” These invisible gifts continue to nurture those who remain and can even be passed on to the next generation. Through the animals’ collective storytelling, the book shows how healing can happen within community. Remembering together becomes a collaborative act of love and care, keeping Fox alive in their hearts.

The story gently reassures readers that while loss is painful, it exists within the broader cycle of life. Shared remembrance can nurture resilience, strengthen community bonds, and help both individuals and future generations move forward with hope.

Find it at Burnaby Public Library.

02/19/2026

For our latest spotlight feature we meet Cameray's admin team and find out what they get up to behind the scenes when they aren't greeting our clients:

"Hello! We are Tanya, Roxane, and Jodie, the Admin team at Cameray.

Our goal is to provide a warm welcome for all our clients and to support staff and clients with efficient systems for collecting and reporting information. If you have made a referral, filled in a consent form, or received an impact report, we are behind the scenes.

One of our major initiatives has been implementing an electronic system to track client information. We no longer create paper files, so our frontline staff can spend less time on paperwork and more time with clients. Clients can now easily and quickly fill out their consent forms online and receive automatic reminders of their appointments.

Soon, we hope to pull anonymous data from the system about the demographics of our clients, to ensure we serve a population that reflects the diversity of Burnaby and New Westminster.

Another major task is reporting to MCFD and our other funders on the impact of Cameray’s work. Every month, we track the number of families we support and the hours that staff spend on direct client service. Cameray uses surveys and formal Outcome Measurements to assess whether our services improve clients’ wellbeing. Admin summarizes these findings for our funders and other community partners.

Finally, we are always looking for ways to improve our client experience. Recently, we have simplified the registration for Early Years groups, and we are working to make the language in our paperwork more inclusive, accessible, and warm. Perhaps most importantly, we aim to be a welcoming face when clients come to Cameray in person, and a compassionate voice when families call looking for support in challenging times.

See you soon,
Tanya, Roxane, and Jodie"

02/18/2026

Thank you to those who joined us at our Cultural Connections drop-in last week to celebrate Lunar New Year. 💝

A special thank you to YMCA Child Care Resource and Referral lending library for the festive felt stories and miniature gong, and Manchu WOK Lougheed Mall for the fried rice and fortune cookies!