Family Services
Family Support
The Family Support program supports urban Aboriginal parents who are involved with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD), and have, or may be at risk of having their children removed from their care. Family Support workers attend MCFD intake meetings, Family Court, family group conferences, and legal mediations. Workers provide clients with emotional support, transportation, in-house referrals to other programs within the Friendship Centre, and referrals to other community support programs. Support is given on an on-going basis through MCFD meetings, and clients are supported and helped to understand and follow-through with court conditions, and MCFD requirements, with the ultimate goal of family reunification or preservation of the family unit.
Family Assessment
The Family Assessment program supports Aboriginal families involved with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) to develop strength and resilience within families while ensuring the safety of the children. This program is strength-based, and explores alternatives to Ministry care of children, and enhancement of opportunities for children to remain with family and community.
Roots
The Roots program works with families, and children, in conjunction with First Nations bands across Canada to support children and youth to connect with their ancestral roots. We work with bands across Canada to help them welcome children and their families as they work to reconnect with their roots.
Supervised Access Visits
We provide Supervised Access visits for families involved with the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). The purpose of this program is to ensure the safety of children, and to encourage the maintenance of family relationships. Whenever appropriate, the program allows families to visit their children in an environment where they feel most comfortable, such as within their home, or in the community. When this is not an option, two comfortable visiting rooms are available at the Friendship Centre for families to use.
** Funding for these programs is provided by the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development **
The Ki-Low-Na Friendship Society respectfully acknowledges that it is located in the beautiful Central Okanagan Valley, located in the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Okanagan Nation (Syilx People).