Cochrane Town Council got a glimpse of some of the social issues that go hand-in-hand with rapid growth at their meeting Monday night.
The update on the social challenges facing the fastest growing town in Alberta took the form of the 2023 Annual Report of the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and the Family Resource Network (FRN).
Manager of FCSS Kim Krawec presented an update on the social themes and trends as well as an overview on the programs and strategies they offer in response.
“For the past five years, the social themes within Cochrane have remained relatively consistent, and are themes that are being identified across the province through FCSS offices,” she said.
“While the themes continue to remain consistent as population grows, there has been an increase in both the number of residents accessing services and the complexity of their presenting issues.”
Krawec said one of the programs she was most proud of is the Cochrane Connect Card.
The Connect Card helps to ensure that lower income residents have equitable access to recreation, transit, health and personal services as well as everyday shopping.
“The amazing thing about this program is it’s had a significant impact on improving the financial well being of residents without having a significant impact on our budget,” Krawec said.
Businesses offer discounts to card holders. In the past five years the program has grown from two partners to 31.
The main social themes in Cochrane and area include:
Financial Insecurity: Food insecurity, housing insecurity and an inability to meet basic needs is increasingly impacting all demographics. Financial challenges are impacting residents’ ability to participate meaningfully in the community.
Mental Health/Social Isolation: Increased mental health challenges, stress and anxiety are impacting all demographics. Mental health and well-being are being compounded by residents’ disconnection from the community and natural support systems.
Family Relationships/Conflict: Separation, divorce and family violence are increasing.
Support for Seniors: The number of seniors that are having difficulty aging in their homes and accessing mental health and medical support is increasing. Seniors are also being disproportionately targeted by fraud and scams. These issues are being compounded by seniors having limited family/natural support networks.
There has been an increase in the majority of the programs and services offered. The increase in the number of residents accessing programs and services can be attributed to a combination of factors:
Community Growth: Cochrane has seen incredible growth over the past five years which has greatly impacted the number of residents accessing programs and services.
Increased Awareness of Support Services: The report read, “FCSS conducted a communication survey in 2022 to understand how different demographics of residents are learning about social support services. In turn, FCSS has focused its efforts over the past two years on increasing awareness within the community through targeted communication strategies. This increased awareness within the community has directly resulted in an increase of access to services. These factors, combined with the provincial and national trends of increased cost of living has increased the number of residents reaching out to FCSS/FRN for support services.”
The two social services departments have seen a dramatic increase in demand.
In 2020 there were 1,974 client contacts. By 2023 that number had almost doubled, to 3,838.
FCSS and the FRN work collaboratively with community partners to increase the resilience of children, youth and families. Preventative programs play a critical role in reducing vulnerability and building resilience. In 2023 there were 5,975 participants in childhood development and well being programs.
