When children cannot be cared for by their parents or guardians, the next best placement for them is within their extended family or their community network. The Society seeks extended family (kin) or members of the child’s community (kith) to provide safe, nurturing, alternate living arrangements for children and youth at risk of neglect or abuse. This reduces stress for children coming into care, maintains family and community ties and increases the likelihood of the child’s reunification with their primary family.  Click here for more info on Family Finding/Family Connections.

Family and community connections provide for a rich resource that can assist families, children and youth when they need help. Extended family and community members (kith) can be utilized to create a diverse and fulsome support network that would aid a family and/or child/young person(s) that may be facing challenges.

CFSGE believes in collaborating with family, extended family, Indigenous communities and Band Representatives, community members, cultural and spiritual communities, to assist families and young people wherever possible.

CFSGE’s Family Connections Workers search for family and community, to help build resources to support families and children/youth, so that they can grow and develop safely within their families or kith. When children/youth cannot be cared for by their parents or guardians, the next best placement is within their extended family and/or community network, paying particular attention to the child and family’s identity and culture.

Working with families, Family Connections Workers are able to:

  • Help build supports for families and children/youth
  • Assist in building/strengthening safety networks to support children/youth remaining with their family
  • Co-develop plans to promote the success within a family as they work to manage challenges
  • Explore options when children/youth cannot be cared for by their parents or guardians for placement
  • Seek connections for children/youth people
  • Work alongside Family Group Coordinator to support Family Group Conferences
  • Facilitate family meetings to enhance families’ understanding of CFSGE’s role, identify existing strengths that create safety, help collaboratively develop a plan to ensure the family is well supported