The series consists of files created by the Unemployment Relief Branch between 1934 and 1941 and mostly relate to relief farm work on Vancouver Island and Salt Spring Island. The file include: National Employment Commission manual of procedure for registering relief recipients (1936); circulars sent out to officials, municipalities and government agents, applications for farm workers, applications for placement on a farm and relief case cards listing names of farm workers, their assigned farm and details of allowance (1936-1939). It also includes correspondence files relating to the Salt Spring Island Community Farm (1940-1941).

This series contains statements showing direct relief and employment administered under Relief Acts of 1930, 1931, 1932 and 1933.

This series consists of files of the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare. Most files are arranged alphabetically by title.

The series consists of correspondence referral replies created and received by the office of the Minister of Social Development, 2010. The correspondence was sent by members of the public to the minister’s office on a variety of topics related to delivering social development programs and services that support low income individuals and families and people with disabilities such as community living services and other employment programs. The correspondence files include a referral/tracking slip from the ministry indicating to whom the letter was forwarded and the action that was taken. These records provide evidence of the Minister's interaction and communication with the public and organizations on issues of regarding the delivery of social development programs. The Minister of Social Development during this time period was Rich Coleman.

Records in this series are arranged alphabetically and chronologically. They consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence, referral/tracking slips, reports, and invitations. This series is covered by the Executive Records Schedule (102906) and ARCS 280-30 executive correspondence referral replies. The ministry registered each letter and assigned each a number.

This series consists of the Minister of Human Resources records, 1977-1978. Records include the Minister's correspondence, memoranda, reports, and subject files. Files arranged alphabetically. Subject files include adoption, daycare, municipal offices, regional offices and Alderlea Lodge (King George Rest Home).

This series consist of the Minister of Human Resources executive records, including, the Minister's correspondence, memoranda and reports (1978-1979), and minister's files regarding community projects (1974-1979). Correspondence and community project files are arranged alphabetically.

The series consists of the executive records of William Vander Zalm (Minister of Human Resources, 1975-1978). The records document key activities of the minister’s office related to social assistance and public and social support for British Columbians. The records were created between 1976-1978, predominantly 1977-1978, by the minister's office in British Columbia. Some of the subjects covered include children in care and adoptions, health and human resources, daycare, income assistance, seniors' programs and services, disability and poverty rights groups, the Provincial Rehabilitation Program (P.R.E.P), and the BC Conference on the Family.

The records are arranged using an internal file classification scheme and by subject. Records include incoming and outgoing correspondence between the Minister of Human Resources and other government executive members, the public, and various associations and committees. The series also includes memoranda and reports; meeting materials; treasury board submissions; and other internal records documenting ministerial activities. The records in G81-077 are covered by the Executive Records schedule (schedule 102906). Accession G87-0041 was transferred to the BC Archives without a schedule.

This series contains correspondence inward of the Minister of Human Resources.

The series consists of Application for Relief forms created by the Dept. of the Provincial Secretary between 1939 and 1941. Each form gives applicants' name, age, place of residence, marital status, financial status and number of dependents.

The forms, which are numbered from 600501 to 604500, were evidently a part of a larger registry. Unfortunately, other application forms from the registry have not survived. Contemporary registers and indexes to the application forms have not survived either.

Most of the forms in this series are from August-November 1939, although a few are dated as late as November 1941. The forms are arranged by community, with a very few discrepancies in the order. Application forms from the city of Vancouver are, for the most part, arranged alphabetically by the first initial of the applicants' surname.

An oath of allegiance was required from those applying for financial assistance from the provincial government. Oath of Allegiance forms from the years 1940-1942 are to be found in Box 7 of this collection. There is no discernible order to the Oath forms, although a number of them refer to the Application for Relief forms noted above.

This series consists of human resources administrative files of the Office of General Administration (Dept. of Human Resources and predecessor bodies) from 1960-1975 and are related to locations throughout the province.

These are files of the Research Division of the British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service. In 1948 an "Act to provide for the Establishment of Hospital Insurance and Financial Aid to Hospitals" was passed. Accordingly, the B.C. Hospital Insurance Service was established as a third branch of the Department of Health and Welfare and tasked with administering the premium payment plan which provided hospital care benefits for acute illness at the standard ward level to residents of the province. The role of the B.C.H.I.S. quickly grew to include hospital financing, inspection, and advisory services related to hospital construction. The name of the branch changed from British Columbia Hospital Insurance Service to Hospital Programs in 1975, as part of a reorganization within the Ministry of Health. In the early years the B.C.H.I.S. was also responsible for the administration of the Welfare Institutions Licensing Act (transferred to the Dept. of Social Welfare in 1950) and the Provincial Infirmaries (transferred to the Health Branch in 1964). The Research Division was created in the second year of operation of the B.C.H.I.S. In the annual report of BCHIS for 1950 the responsibilities of the Research Division are listed as "this branch of the Service supplied all statistics necessary to the Service, which included compilation of progress and annual reports, surveys, and other information". In the 1951 annual report this description is broadened slightly, "maintained monthly progress reports, compiled statistics concerning hospitalization experience, and conducted special studies on matters related to the Service". There are two series of files, one series containing correspondence with individual hospitals and one series containing subject files. The first series in this unit, the bulk of these files, relate to individual hospitals and contain correspondence of the division with the hospitals, news releases of the ministry relating to the hospital, reports of the division relating to the individual hospitals and other research material relating to individual hospitals. The bulk of this series is from 1953-1965, with some material as late as 1975. The second series of files are subject files of the Research Division on such topics as rehabilitation, mental health, indian affairs, morbidity, social welfare, and pediatrics. The bulk of this series is from 1953-1962, with some material as late as 1977. Individual Hospital Series (Boxes 1-12) Subject Files (Boxes 12-15)

Case files created for the purpose of administration of benefits under the Guaranteed Available Income for Need (GAIN) Act.

The series consists of field service systems manuals created by the Ministry of Human Resources and its predecessor agency, the Dept. of Social Welfare, in 1965 and 1977-1980. The manuals provide district supervisors, social workers, and clerical staff with a working guide to the organization, administration, and operation of the Department's district offices.

The series consists of the executive records of the office of the Deputy Minister of Human Resources. The records document key activities of the Deputy Minister’s office related to administering the ministry's social services and income security programs; for example, providing income assistance, disability services, supports for seniors, family and children's services, child protection services, Pharmacare, and other health and social services. The records were created and received by the Deputy Minister’s office between 1962-1979 in British Columbia. During this time period, the Deputy Minister’s office was under the Ministry of Human Resources (1976-1986), Department of Human Resources (1973-1976), Department of Rehabilitation and Social Improvement (1970-1973), and the Department of Social Welfare (1959-1970). Some of the files relate to the Provincial Rehabilitation and Employment Program (P.R.E.P.), the Social Planning and Review Council of BC (S.P.A.R.C.), G.A.I.N. (Guaranteed Available Income Need) program, as well as community health and human resources centres and other community programs and service organizations.

The records are arranged alphabetically by subject. They consist of correspondence, news clippings, memoranda, reports, meeting materials, policy documents, Treasury Board submissions, and research files. The records are covered by the Executive Records schedule (schedule 102906).

The series consists of correspondence, memoranda, reports, and minutes of meetings of the Assistant Deputy Minister (Director of Social Welfare) created between 1965 and 1968.

The series consists of records created by the Deputy Minister and the Associate Deputy Minister of the Dept. of Social Welfare between 1936 and 1966. The series includes subject files, correspondence, memoranda, reports, minutes of meetings and speeches.

The series consists of files created by the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare. They are arranged in alphabetical order and include correspondence, memoranda, reports and minutes of meetings of the Deputy Minister.

This series consists of correspondence, memoranda, reports and minutes of meetings of the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Dept. of Rehabilitation and Social Improvement, predominantly from 1971-1973.

This series consists of a systematic sample of early case files including some of the earliest applications for the Old Age Assistance, Disabled Persons Allowance and Blind Persons Allowance programs; case files from the Island Youth Centre; and files representing the generalized case loads of the regions, including social allowance, pensions, boarding and nursing homes, foster homes, unmarried mothers, and all matters that were dealt with by the Welfare Field Service.

In January 1975, E.L. Northup, the Associate Deputy Minister, sent out an operational directive (No. 201974/75) to all Regional Directors, District Supervisors, Municipal Administrators, Divisional and Institutional Heads and Senior Administration, requesting that the various offices send a random sample of their files inactive since 31 December 1966, to the Provincial Archives.

The sampling instructions were to "select every 5th file from each group until the sample is complete". A certain number of files were requested from each Region, the Island Youth Centre and the Division of Aging. Although the instructions were to sample only from files inactive since 31 December 1966, some of the files received do include material up to 1972.

Region 2 - 25
Region 3 - 15
Region 4 - 15
Region 5 - 40
Region 6 - 25
Region 7 - 15
Region 8 - 15
Region 9 - 15
Region 10 - 20
Region 11 - 50
Island Youth Centre - 10
Division of Aging - 25 of each case category cited (B.P.A., D.P.A., S.A., O.A.S.)

Although the instructions were to sample only from files inactive since 31 December 1966, some of the files received do include material up to 1972.

This collection includes some of the earliest applications for the Old Age Assistance, Disabled Persons Allowance and Blind Persons Allowance programs. It includes case files from the Island Youth Centre. It also includes files representing the generalized case loads of the regions, which usually include social allowance, pensions, boarding and nursing homes, foster homes, unmarried mothers, and all matters that were dealt with by the Welfare Field Service.

The series consists of the executive records of the office of the Assistant Deputy Minister of Human Resources. The records document key activities of the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office related to administering the ministry’s social services and income security programs. The Assistant Deputy Minister supports the Deputy Minister to deliver programs related to income assistance, disability services, supports for seniors, family and children’s services, child protection services, Pharmacare, and other social services. The records were created and received by the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office between 1966-1979 in British Columbia. During this time period, the Assistant Deputy Minister’s office fell under the Ministry of Human Resources (1976-1986), Department of Human Resources (1973-1976), Department of Rehabilitation and Social Improvement (1970-1973), and the Department of Social Welfare (1959-1970). Some of the files relate to child care, community health and human resources centres, family and children’s services, seniors’ services, health care, PharmaCare, the Vancouver Resources Board, and the regionalization of social programs and services. The latter reinforces the regional service delivery structure of the ministry, defined by geographic areas.

The records are arranged alphabetically by subject. They consist of correspondence, news clippings, memoranda, reports, meeting materials, policy documents, and research files. The records are covered by the Executive Records schedule (schedule 102906).

The item is a copy of an essay (typescript) by researcher Isobel Harvey entitled "An historic review of the social services of the government of British Columbia." Prepared as a prelude to the 1947-1948 Annual Report of the Social Welfare Branch.