About us

Whether embarking on one of life’s most exciting adventures—like getting married or having children—or going through a challenging, traumatic situation, The Family Centre will help you move forward positively. We can support you to navigate through change, raise healthy children, develop strong and healthy relationships, and heal from trauma.

Our services include:

Classes for couples, parents, individuals and organizations learn more
Counselling learn more
Interpretation and translation in over 60 languages learn more
Mental health therapists, coaches, and family support workers in several Edmonton schools learn more
Child, Youth & Family Support Services with Child and Family Services learn more
All in for Youth learn more
NET (Neighoubourhood Empowerment Team) learn more
Employee and family assistance program (FSEAP) learn more

Vision: Healthy families in healthy communities.

Our guiding principles Our history Accreditation

Board of Directors Annual report Partners and funders

Our Guiding Principles

1. Hope

Sometimes families lose hope when they experience problems or setbacks. We help them see the possibilities again by finding achievable ways to overcome challenges, celebrating their successes along the way, and building their self-confidence.

2. Strength

Every family has a unique set of skills and strengths. We nurture those qualities within individuals, families, and communities to help them become even stronger when facing difficult situations. We empower them to use their strength to rebound from hardship and move forward positively.

3. Respect

We do not judge families. We strive to support them wherever they are and respect whatever decisions they make. We never make decisions for families, nor do we claim to have all their answers. We believe each family controls their future; they decide what needs to be done, and we work with them to determine how to get there.

4. Diversity

We value all cultures and beliefs. We take time and care to understand families and their communities while recognizing that some behaviours may harm a child’s or family’s health. We provide respectful feedback, information, and choices that reflect their values and belief system and allow them to make informed decisions.

5. Understanding

History and past experiences cannot change. We understand that families have done the best they can with the resources, support, and information they had at the time. Sometimes, previous experience and fear may lead to harmful behaviours. Ultimately, parents want their children to be healthy and productive, but not everyone knows how to make this happen. We work with families to understand their unique situations, and we offer guidance where they would like to see change.

6. Trust

Many families come to us with little confidence and trust in others, based on previous negative experiences. We earn their trust by fully understanding their circumstances, offering objective, helpful advice based on their needs, and letting them be in charge of their decisions. We also stay true to our word; we do what we say we will do every single time.

7. Commitment

If we do not immediately connect with a family, we adapt our approach until we find a way that works. We refuse to give up. We are committed to building and maintaining positive, objective relationships with every family. If we can’t help, we look for other organizations or services that may better meet their needs.

8. Community

We promote safely integrating children and family into home and community life. Our support teams are made up of several services through The Family Centre and beyond. We work closely with immediate and extended families, schools, and community organizations to encourage the best support network for a child or family. We offer coordinated health and well-being services that are inclusive, responsive, and easily accessible for families and communities.

Our History

In the 1920s, The Family Centre distributed food and clothing to those in need before social safety nets existed. As government and other agencies took over that role, our focus shifted to delivering professional counselling and in-home support to parents—key services we offer to this day.

The Family Centre was incorporated in 1942, striking its first citizen-based board of directors and becoming a member of the Community Chest (now United Way of the Capital Region). Our funding partners have expanded over the years to include the City of Edmonton, Alberta Human Services, Alberta Justice, and other private and public foundations.

Currently we have a wide breadth of over 350 personnel including: educational facilitators, family connectors, family preservation workers, family support workers, interpreters, kinship support workers, parental support workers, psychologists, social workers, therapists, workplace support specialists, youth connectors, and youth reunification workers. Each year we proudly serve over 20,000 people, in addition to over 100 corporate and government clients as a member of the Family Services Employee Assistance Program (FSEAP) network.

Accreditation

The Family Centre is accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA); an international, independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the delivery of social services. COA accreditation signifies that our agency has voluntarily undergone a rigorous evaluation process and that our service offering meets or exceeds industry best practices.

Board of Directors

The Family Centre is extremely fortunate to be governed by the following volunteer board members who give their time so that we may continue to improve the lives of families and individuals within our communities.

Michele Annich Chair

Bob Hassel Vice Chair

David Anderson Director

Shahriyar Khan Director

Yasmeen Krameddine Director

Bob Silverthorne Director

Faye Rault Treasurer

Sophia Kasozi Director

Irene Fraser Director

John Cotton Director

Page Stuart Director

OUR ANNUAL REPORT

ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18

ANNUAL REPORT 2018/19

Partners and funders

The Family Centre proactively collaborates with other organizations to address complex issues. Partnerships are necessary to create innovative services on behalf of our community’s most vulnerable families.

Major Partnership Programs

Drop-In Single Session Counselling (DISSC)

Drop-In Single Session Counselling is provided through partnership between The Family Centre, Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton and Area, Canadian Mental Health Association - Edmonton Region, Edmonton John Howard Society, Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton (Sage) and Pride Centre of Edmonton.

All In For Youth

All In For Youth is a community collaboration between United Way, Edmonton Community Foundation, City of Edmonton FCSS, The Family Centre, Big Brothers Big Sisters Society of Edmonton and Area, E4C, Edmonton Public and Catholic Schools, and the City Centre Education Partnership. This first-of-its-kind local initiative focuses on getting children and youth successfully through their education years and on to high school completion.

Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (NET)

NET is a strategic partnership between the City of Edmonton Community Services, Edmonton Police Service, The Family Centre, and United Way of the Alberta Capital Region. The focus of NET’s work is to build sustainable solutions to community safety. This is done by first identifying recurring situations that affect a community’s safety, and then implementing innovative strategies and working with the community’s residents, businesses, and organizations towards a solution.

Collaborative Service Delivery

The Family Centre works closely with Edmonton Child and Family Services to determine what support children and parents need for a strong a healthy family. Our goal is that children and family members are safe, have positive relationships with loved ones, and are given a voice in decisions affecting their future. All referrals come through Edmonton Child and Family Services North Central and East Neighbourhood Centres.

Community Mental Health Action Plan

The Community Mental Health Action Plan is a partnership of more than 50 organizations working to help all organizations involved in mental health and addiction in Edmonton and Area maximize collective resources, leverage opportunities to respond to existing gaps in service, and foster innovative approaches to integrate supports and services.