Child Protection & Family Support
We believe that being with family is best for children and youth to receive the love and care they need to grow into healthy adults, which is why, as of March 31st, 2018:
98.9% of the children and youth we work with are staying safely at home
with their family while we provide services and support.
When children and youth are not able to safely live with their own families, we will arrange for them to be cared for by relatives, friends, another family and/or foster parents. We continue to work closely with the parents with the goal of the children safely returning home. Below, Jake tells his story of working with FCSGW.
Where ongoing support is needed, many services are provided to help the children and youth remain in their family homes. Together with the family, using an approach call Signs of Safety, we will develop goals and connect with other professionals and community members involved in the family’s life. For more information on the Signs of Safety approach, click here.
Clinical Support Team:
The Clinical Support Team provides in-home support to families working with Family & Children’s Services. Clinical support workers help parents:
- find new ways to manage their child’s behaviour
- build a stronger relationship with their child
- improve how families communicate with each other
- learn about the different stages of child development
- enhance parenting skills
Parenting Groups:
Parenting groups are some of the other resources we offer to help parents develop their parenting skills and build loving and healthy relationships with their children. These include:
- Caring Dads
- Circle of Security
- STAY (Survive and Thrive in the Adolescent Years)
Volunteer Services:
We also have a dedicated team of volunteers who help us deliver our services to families in need. Theses services include:
- parent aides
- mentors
- drivers
- tutors
- childcare assistants
If you are interested in volunteering for one of these positions please visit our volunteer page here.
Fostering and Adoption:
When children and youth are no longer able to safely stay in their homes we find them an approved foster family who will take care of them until it is safe to return home. If returning home is not an option, we work with approved and prospective adoptive families to ensure that children and youth are matched with families that can meet their needs.
If you are interested in becoming a foster or adoptive family, or want to know more about either process, visit our foster page here, adoption page here, or give us a call at either 519-824-2410 or toll free at 1-800-265-8300 and ask for a foster care and adoption worker.
Children First Fund
The funding we receive from the Government of Ontario allows us to carry out our mandated services, however we want to do more. The Children First Fund allows us to go above and beyond our mandate, providing more supports and resources to families that they otherwise would not have.
To learn more about how you can help make a difference in the lives of children, youth and families in our community, click here.