Life Sharing means living with and sharing all of life’s experiences together and forming a supportive and caring relationship.

It’s a three-way relationship between you, the person with disabilities/their family and BACI. Each of the members has a role to play in the relationship, and each member comes to the relationship with a set of hopes, dreams, and expectations.

While every life sharing relationship is unique, there are some hopes and expectations that are common, such as the hope of a good life lived with purpose and the expectation to be treated and supported with respect.

If you are considering a Shared Commitment, here are some pointers to consider.

We began to live together… I did the cooking, so we didn’t eat very well! We did everything together. We cooked, we worked in the garden together, we fought together, we prayed together, we forgave each other. And so, a whole sort of journey began. I began by thinking that I could do good for them, but then as the days and then the months moved on I began to discover, little by little, what they were doing for me – transforming me, changing me. I thought I was going to teach them something and suddenly I was discovering that they were teaching me quite a bit. – Jean Vanier

Required Resources for Life Sharing Contractors

1. BACI Contractor Code of Conduct

2. Standards for Home Sharing – Community Living BC (CLBC)

Strengthening Resources:

BACI’s Personal Planning Tools and Processes

Natural Safeguards

Links to Other Useful Sites:

Provincial Ministries and Funding Agency for People with Intellectual Disabilities

Relevant Associations and Networks

Transit: Translink – Access Transit Programs

Health Services

Training Opportunities for Contractors - BACI 2011 Training Schedule for Contractors

Employment and Training Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities

Find out more information about social and recreational opportunities.