Supporting Families to Stay Together and Thrive
WFC Family Preservation and Reunification Services help families build on their strengths, enhance safety and stability, and support children in remaining safely connected to their families and communities.
Services are accessed through referrals from the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD). Our team works collaboratively with children, parents, caregivers, extended family members, and community supports to create sustainable positive change.
Family Preservation Services
Family Preservation Workers provide individualized support to families in their homes and communities. Services are tailored to each family’s unique needs and may include:
- Family assessments and service planning
- Parenting education and skill development
- Therapeutic support for individuals, couples, and families
- Assistance with immediate practical needs
- Connections to community resources and supports
- Therapeutic supervised access services
Who Can Be Referred?
Families with children aged 0 to 12 who are involved with MCFD and are experiencing challenges such as:
- Parenting concerns
- Family violence, abuse, neglect, or conflict
- Mental health challenges
- Substance use concerns
- Housing instability
- Chronic or acute health issues
- Need for increased community support
- Reunification following out-of-home care placement
Indigenous Family Preservation Services
Our Indigenous Family Preservation Workers support Indigenous children and families through culturally responsive and trauma-informed services focused on safety, permanency, prevention, and reunification.
Services include:
- Collaborative goal setting with families
- Cultural planning and support
- Strengths-based family interventions
- Connections to cultural and community resources
- Reunification support for children returning home
When an Indigenous Family Preservation Worker is unavailable, families are supported through our Indigenous Education Consultant to ensure services remain culturally informed and responsive.
Resource Support Services
Families often need practical assistance before they can focus on longer-term goals. Our dedicated Resource Worker helps families access essential supports, including:
- Emergency food supplies
- Household and personal necessities
- Income assistance
- Emergency shelter or housing support
- Childcare resources
Supervised Visitation & Access Services
We facilitate safe, supportive visits between children and their parents, caregivers, or family members.
Supervised Access Visitation
Designed to maintain and strengthen relationships while ensuring visits remain safe and consistent with approved visitation plans.
Services include:
- Monitored visits
- Safety oversight
- Documentation and reporting
- Support for positive family connections
Connection & Therapeutic Access
When reunification is the goal, additional support is provided through:
- Parenting coaching
- Skill-building and education
- Healthy communication strategies
- Strengthening parent-child relationships
- Goal-focused visitation planning
Referral Form
Intensive In-Home Services
Home Organization Program (HOP)
The Home Organization Program helps families create safe, organized, and sustainable home environments.
What Families Can Expect
- One-on-one in-home support
- Personalized routines and organization systems
- Practical tools and strategies
- Strengths-based and non-judgmental guidance
- Connections to additional resources when needed
Program Goal
To empower families to develop routines and systems that create safer, more stable, and less stressful home environments.
Referrals can be made by MCFD social workers or Family Preservation Workers.
Home Support Referral Form
Crisis Response Services
Crisis Response Program
Our Crisis Response Program provides immediate, short-term intervention when children are at risk of entering care.
Standalone Crisis Response
This intensive service:
- Supports families experiencing urgent safety concerns
- Provides up to 30 hours of service over a two-week period
- Focuses on addressing immediate risk factors
- Acts as a bridge until longer-term supports are established
Crisis Response Wraparound
Available for families already receiving Family Preservation Services who encounter an unexpected crisis that could place children at risk of removal from the home.
Additional intensive supports are added to help stabilize the family and maintain child safety.
Crisis Response Referral Form
Groups & Parent Education
Westcoast Family Centres offers a range of psychoeducational and therapeutic groups designed to strengthen parenting skills and family relationships.
Topics may include:
- Parenting strategies
- Child development
- Emotional regulation
- Building resilience
- Family communication
- Specialized therapeutic supports
Groups are offered based on community need and are available to parents with current or recent MCFD involvement.
Indigenous Education & Cultural Support
Our Indigenous Education Consultant helps strengthen culturally responsive services by:
- Developing family-specific cultural goals
- Creating cultural resource packages
- Supporting access to cultural identity and community connections
- Assisting with status registration and Jordan’s Principle supports
- Facilitating workshops, groups, and cultural events for Indigenous families
Co-Parenting Support Program
Supporting families through separation and divorce with a focus on the well-being of children.
This voluntary service is available through self-referral or referral from MCFD.
Areas of Focus
- Understanding the impact of separation on children
- Effective co-parent communication
- Supporting children through family transitions
- Managing expectations and conflict
- Making decisions in the best interests of children
The program is primarily delivered through group-based education and support. Individual support for children may also be available through social worker referral.
Clinical Counselling Services
Our Clinical Counselling Program provides specialized, trauma-informed support for children, youth, caregivers, and families.
Child-Focused Play Therapy
Play therapy helps children safely express emotions, develop coping skills, and process difficult experiences.
Support may address:
- Trauma and adverse childhood experiences
- Attachment disruptions
- Anxiety and emotional regulation
- Exposure to family violence
- Foster care involvement
- Family separation and loss
Support for Caregivers
Services may include:
- Parenting coaching
- Trauma-informed education
- Individual counselling
- Strengthening parent-child relationships
Our goal is to support healing, resilience, attachment, and family stability.
Referral Information
All Family Preservation services are accessed through referrals from MCFD social workers, with the exception of Co-Parenting Support and Groups which also accept self referrals.
Other Resources
