The Family Connections Program provides in-home counselling, support, and advocacy to families with a focus on reducing risk factors and keeping children safe. The families’ complex needs are addressed effectively by interventions based on preferences, strengths, and goals identified by the family. We build on family’s strengths, encourage positive discipline, and support parents to make changes in their lives that will enable them to meet their children’s needs. These programs are designed for families with children aged 0-14. The program is divided into three levels of service:
FAMILY & YOUTH PROGRAM
Our goal is to assist families in understanding and meeting their children’s developmental, physical, and emotional needs, while also helping families learn how to access community resources and develop their own support network.
FAMILY Strengthening Program
The Family Strengthening Program (FSP) s is a program that is offered when MCFD receives information that raises concerns about a child’s safety and there is a decision that the concerns can be managed through FSP rather than through a child protection investigation. Our goal is to help parents build on their family’s strengths and provide an opportunity for families to access services available in the community, such as counselling and parenting programs.
INTENSIVE Program
This program is mandated by MCFD when child protection concerns have been identified. The Counsellor will assess families’ needs and will offer intensive support to families to increase their children’s safety in the home. Our goal is to empower parents to identify, prioritize, and resolve issues that would otherwise prevent maintaining the children in the home.
All programs are funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and families must have a referral from MCFD to access Family Connections services.
SUPPORTED VISIT Program
The Supported Visit Program provides a healthy and safe environment for families to have monitored visits when children are in care or when there is a court order in place. Supported Visits are monitored by a trained supervisor who will either observe and record the visits or provide parent coaching if requested. The purpose of the visits is to provide a safe space for families to engage and to promote healthy relationships among family members. Referrals to the program come from Ministry of Children and Family Development or private referrals. There is a fee for private referrals, which applies to individuals or families who are not involved with MCFD but still require access to supported visit services.
How do we access/private refer to the Supported Visit Program?
You can contact the Supported Visit Coordinator at 604-533-7920 ext 1301 or ccook@lcss.ca for referral information. Referral documentations are available at request or download here: Referral Form
