New Program Spaces for Vulnerable Families Opening Across Saskatchewan
The Government of Saskatchewan is partnering with Meadow Lake Outreach Ministries and Sanctum Care Group Inc. to provide nine new Supportive Family Living Program spaces that will support families to safely care for their children at home. These new spaces are part of the $1.3 million investment announced in the 2023-24 provincial budget to expand Supportive Family Living Program services.
“Programs that strengthen families and allow them to safely remain together work very well to address current and future child protection issues,” Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky said. “We look forward to working with these community partners to increase the availability of this important preventative service in Saskatchewan.”
The Supportive Family Living Program provides support for children who are at-risk of coming into care to remain safely with their families, and reunifying families whose children have been in out-of-home care. Families participating in the program live in a home-like environment where they have 24-hour on-site access to services and supports. They are also linked to community-based services that aid in a successful transition to independent living for the family.
Meadow Lake Outreach Ministries expanded their existing program from five to 10 spaces for vulnerable families. The Saskatoon program, run by Sanctum Care Group, offers four short-term assessment suites to support families with children at imminent risk of entering care to safely stay together while long-term support services can be put in place.
“The most important part of having these new spaces available for our future families is that intentional work will be done through programming, love, understanding and compassion,” Meadow Lake Outreach Ministries Executive Director Delton Sylvain said. “Having access to workers who can treat our families with dignity is the first piece needed to build on the parent’s self-esteem. I’m happy for the five new spaces added to our Supportive Family Living Programs already in Meadow Lake.”
“It is a privilege to deliver programs that meet the needs of families at risk of apprehension that are rooted in trauma-informed care and are geared toward meeting the unique and individual needs of these families,” Sanctum Care Group Executive Director Katelyn Roberts said. “Establishing assessment suites as part of a broader continuum of care is an important preventative measure that will further support at-risk families in Saskatchewan.”
A key element of these programs is their ability to provide a family-centered approach that offers intensive residential and community supports to families in crisis, including access to cultural supports and ceremonies.
This year’s expansion of nine new spaces is in addition to 13 Supportive Family Living Programs that already provide 137 spaces across the province operated by community partners. At any given time, more than 2,000 children live safely at home with their families while they receive ongoing child protection services.