Family Support Practitioner Program
What is the Family Support Program?
Parenting can be one of life's most difficult jobs. The Family Support Program at Kenora-Rainy River Districts Child and Family Services was created to provide in-home parenting supports to prevent neglect and abuse by improving parenting skills. This Program employs a number of skilled workers across the Districts - they are called Family Support Practitioners.
What is a Family Support Practitioner?
The Family Support Practitioners offer practical help and support to families involved with Child Protection Services. They assist families strengthen communication and parenting skills to reduce risk to the children and to address the reasons child welfare services became involved.
The Family Support Practitioners have a wide range of parenting skills and can help with areas such as: discipline, routines, organization, linking to other community services, identifying and minimizing safety risks in the home, parent teaching with newborn infants, including educating parents regarding safe sleeping practices.
What Can I Expect From the Home Visits?
The amount of time the Family Support Practitioner spends at your home will depend on the needs of your family. The times of day may also vary depending on your needs. For example, if you need assistance with bed time routines, the Family Support Practitioner may visit your home in the evening.
When the Family Support Practitioner attends your home, they may bring tools for you to use, such as behavior charts, reward charts, information on specific parenting skills, and house rules. These tools are for you to use to strengthen your family's communication and promote positive behaviors.
The Family Support Practitioner will always keep the safety of the children in the forefront of their work and are obligated to report anything they feel is putting the children at risk.
Who Will the Family Support Practitioner Communicate With?
The Family Support Practitioner will start by calling to set up a meeting with you. At the meeting, a service agreement will be developed which will include setting goals. What happens at each visit will be documented in the agency's recording system. This document is called a casenote.
Every six months, progress will be evaluated and you will receive a report. If child welfare services or family support services are no longer needed, you will receive closing reports.
The Family Support Practitioner will communicate with your Family Services Worker on a regular basis. They will be discussing your progress and evaluation of meeting your goals as well as any safety concerns.
The Family Support Practitioner will provide you with her contact information so you can call her with any questions or concerns.
