Family Preservation and Reunification

Family Preservation and Reunification provides clinical services to referred Aboriginal families who are experiencing situations that may place their children at risk.  These services are based on an assessed need and are to prevent children from coming into care as well as promoting a safe, timely and lasting reunification of families.

Family Preservation: provides in-home services for families

Family Reunification: reconnects children with their families through involvement of the child’s caregiver.

Emergency Family Response: provides short-term crisis-orientated service to ensure children have immediate support. It also is designated to decrease the length of time a child is in care.

Strengthening Family Program: is an evidence based program that is family focused and culturally sensitive.  It is intended to strengthen parenting skills, family relationships and children’s social skills and life skill.  It is available for families with children ages 6 – 11 years.

VACFSS offers Aboriginal Family Preservation & Reunification Services to:

• Children
• Youth
• Families
• Caregivers
• Children and youth with CCO status

 Intensive Family Preservation and Reunification Services involve parents, caregivers, children and youth.  It is delivered primarily in the family home, caregiver’s home or a site preferred by the family.  Each family referred to the service will work with a primary Family Preservation Counselor to ensure continuity of service.  The service is time-limited ranging from two (2) to six (6) months and may be extended depending on the circumstances.

 VACFSS Aboriginal Family Preservation and Reunification Services are for immediate and extended families to develop a plan that will address child protection issues to prevent children from being removed from the family home.  The Program also assists in the reunification of families by providing the following services:

• Assessment and integrated service planning;
• Services to address concrete needs;
• Individual and parenting training and education;
• Therapeutic interventions with individuals, couples and families;
• Linkages to formal and therapeutic interventions;
• Specialized individual therapeutic interventions; and
• Specialized assessment.

 Associated Aboriginal Family Preservation and Reunification Services:

• Group-based therapeutic intervention
• Child and youth care intervention
• Self help/mutual aid
• Volunteer mentoring
• Supervised visitation
• In-home services (homemaker services)