Record of Discussion - 15 February 2024

15 February 2024
14:00 – 17:00 ET
Virtual – Microsoft Teams

Advisory Group Members (Families and Policy)

  • Laryssa Lamrock
  • Laurie Ogilvie, Military Family Services, Canadian Armed Forces
  • Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Charles Gendron, Royal Canadian Legion
  • Namita Joshi, True Patriot Love Foundation
  • Nora Spinks
  • Superintendent (Retired) Dave LeBlanc, RCMP Veterans Association
  • Yvonne Watson
  • Brian Forbes, National Council of Veteran Associations in Canada (Co-chair)
  • Captain (Retired) Dennis Leblanc (Policy Advisory Group Co-chair)
  • Brigadier General (Retired) Joe Sharpe
  • Laurie Ogilvie, Military Family Services, Canadian Armed Forces
  • Lieutenant (Retired) Carolyn Hughes, Royal Canadian Legion
  • Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Steven Deschamps
  • Lieutenant Commander (Retired) Lori Buchart
  • Major (Retired) Mark Campbell
  • Tamara Kleinschmidt, Trenton Military Family Resource Centre

Regrets

  • Colonel (Retired) Telah Morrison (Co-Chair)
  • Commodore Dan Bouchard, Canadian Armed Forces
  • Sergeant (Retired) Kim Hendricken, RCMP Veterans Association
  • Jenny Migneault
  • Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Robert Bell
  • Master Warrant Officer (Retired) William MacDonald
  • Master Corporal (Retired) Keith McAllister, Veterans UN-NATO Canada
  • Sailor 1st class (Retired) Scott White
  • Sergeant (Retired) Catherine Bergeron
  • Tim Goddard

Office of the Minister of Veterans Affairs

  • Michael Unsworth, Special Assistant

Veterans Affairs Canada Officials

  • Pamela Harrison, Director General, Community Engagement (Co-chair)
  • Mitch Freeman, Director General, Policy and Research (Co-chair)

Presenters

  • Tania Geurtin, Service Delivery Program Management
  • Kirsten MacEachern, Service Delivery Program Management

Observer

  • Duane Schippers, Office of the Veterans Ombud

Opening Remarks

The VAC Co-chairs welcomed the two advisory groups and Mitch Freeman provided a land acknowledgement.

Record of Discussion

The Advisory Group on Families reviewed the proposed Record of Discussion from the 7 December 2023 meeting. The Record of Discussion is to be amended to add in additional elements and re-circulated to members for secretarial approval.

Education and Training Benefit presentation

Tania Geurtin and Kirsten MacEachern provided a presentation on the Education and Training Benefit (ETB) eligibility criteria and data on program use and service standards.

The proceeding discussion included the following remarks from members:

  • A CAF member shouldn’t have to sever their employment from the CAF in order to access the program.
  • Clarification that number of days in the eligibility criteria includes any Reserve force service days and hours.
  • Confirmed that there is no fiscal year target for how many Veterans will access ETB, the program is demand driven.
  • Vocational Rehab is transferrable to the spouse if the Veteran cannot participate, could ETB follow the same eligibility.
  • Discussion on how and where ETB fits into the broader discussion on post-service education/employment/purpose.
  • The policy intent of the program was shared: To help Veterans successfully transition from military to civilian life; achieve their education and post-military employment goals; better position themselves to be more competitive in the civilian workforce; and pursue activities that give them purpose and satisfaction with their main job or activity.
  • If eligibility were extended to families could the same (but tailored) intent apply: To help families successfully transition from military to civilian life; achieve their education and post-military employment goals; better position themselves to be more competitive in the civilian workforce; and pursue activities that give them purpose and satisfaction with their main job or activity.
  • Reasons to extend the benefit to families discussed included:
    • The definition and meaning of ‘transition’ has evolved over the past few years to take into account finding new purpose and takes into account the entire family unit. Being able to successfully transition your family to post-service life contributes to finding purpose;
    • Opening up eligibility to families could be a recruitment/retention strategy for the CAF;
    • Have to consider the impact/toll being a military family has on family members. Children of military families’ education/learning could suffer due to the impacts of deployments, transfers, etc. putting them at a disadvantage for post-secondary studies, this benefits being available to military children could provide needed support; and
    • When a member serves the whole family serves, this is a recognition based benefit based on years of service, therefore the member earned eligibility to this benefit through their years of service, they should be able to designate who benefits from it.
  • The group discussed any instances where it would be appropriate to transfer ETB benefits to a family member, for example, Veterans with a Diminished Earning Capacity (DEC) decision (making them ineligible for Vocational Rehabilitation).

National Stakeholder Summit

VAC co-chair provided an overview of the intent of the upcoming Summit and format.

Closing Remarks

The group agreed to adjourn, review the record of discussion and prior to next meeting in April to put pen to paper on tangible recommendations of family access to ETB including who, for how long, which aspects, any limits, etc. The next meeting date is yet to be determined, but will be communicated to members. The meeting adjourned.

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