Prevention and Family Support Services

MCFD is developing a Prevention and Family Support Service Framework, driven by the Minister’s mandate to “Support families involved with the child welfare system by focusing on family preservation and keeping children and youth connected to their communities and culture…”.

The ministry conducted extensive engagements with Delegated Aboriginal Agencies (DAA) and contracted service providers Spring 2020-Summer 2021 reaching over 300 participants. Virtual engagement feedback and DAA survey results demonstrated what prevention and family support services are working well and what barriers families face when they need support.

We Heard:

• Basic Needs - Most often, families need help with basic needs – financial support, housing, and food security – before they can stabilize and address family dynamics, mental health and substance use challenges, and parenting skills.
• Relationships and Access to Services – Our partners also identified that families do best when services are based on relationships, where families set their own goals with a trusted service provider. Accessible counselling, parent education, and outreach services were at the top of the list of what families ask for.
• Transportation – Transportation was flagged as a major barrier, particularly in rural and remote areas where families need to travel to access support. Similarly, families ask for flexibility around how and when services are provided.
• Stigma – Most commonly, engagement participants spoke about the fear and stigma associated with accessing services that require a ministry referral, and often waitlists result in families not getting the help they need when they need it.

These themes align with what we have gathered through reviewing literature, reports, and recommendations related to prevention, family support, and child safety.

The ministry is analyzing the engagement data and drafting a ‘What We Heard’ report. This will continue to inform the development of the Prevention and Family Support Service Framework.