Family Reconciliation Program

Program goal.

The Family Reconciliation Program uses Circles to enable family, caseworkers and other professionals to talk to each other in a good way about the safety and well-being of children. Impartial NCSA Circle Facilitators ensure everyone is heard and guide respectful, caring, and honest conversation.

The Circles focus on the needs of children and connecting them to family, culture, and community. Each Circle draws on the knowledge, skills, and strengths of individuals and families to listen to each other and develop plans for the safety and well-being of children and youth.

For More Information, Please Contact:

Crystal Cardinal, Program Manager
Call: +1 (587) 855-6812
Email: crystal-cardinal@ncsa.ca

Types of Circles.

Reconciliation Circle

Reconciliation Circles help families disrupted, fractured, and damaged by intergenerational trauma restore their connection to one another, including:

• Readiness of the family to proceed
• Identifying issues, needs and concerns
• Clarifying next steps

Additional Circles may be required to engage in developing plans for the child.

Safety Planning Circle

Safety Planning Circles bring family members, caseworkers and service providers together to develop plans to prevent the removal of children from home, including:

• Sharing concerns
• Identifying family strengths
• Maintaining and building family connections
• Developing plans to ensure the safety and well-being of the child

Safety Planning Circles are set up within 5 working days of the referral.

Family Enhancement Circle

Family Enhancement Circles bring family members, caseworkers, and service providers together to:

• Build on family strengths and relationships
• Reach common agreement to maintain the safety and well-being of the child
• Create a plan to strengthen the family
• Create a strategy to assist parents in caring for their children

Family Enhancement Circles are set up within 1 to 3 weeks of the referral meeting.

Child Placement Circle

Child Placement Circles bring family members, caseworkers, and service providers together to develop a plan for placing the child in the care of Children’s Services. These Circles make decisions and create plans to establish:

• Family Connection
• Community Connection
• Cultural Connection

Child Placement Circles are set up within 3 to 4 weeks of the referral meeting.

Pimatisiwin Circle (Seeking the Good Life)

Pimatisiwin Circles are youth focussed and bring youth, family members, caseworkers, and service providers together to:

• Build sustainable relationships
• Create strategies to re-establish connections to family, community and culture
• Create plans to support youth transitioning to independent living
• Help youth access supports (health, education, employment, and housing)
• Create plans to support children/youth returning to the care of their parents or family

Pimatisiwin Circles are set up within 3 weeks of the referral meeting.

Caregivers Circle

Caregiver Circles bring caregivers, support workers, and caseworkers together to:

• Reach a common agreement in planning
• Strengthening the child’s relationships
• Assist in making a plan to establish and maintain a connection to the child’s family, community and culture

Caregiver Circles are set up within 1 to 3 weeks of the referral meeting.

Review Meetings

Review Meetings bring family members, caseworkers, and service providers together to review plans and changes in the situation surrounding the child and family. In some instances, the review meeting may require another Circle to revise plans, additional support and/or confirmation that the child and family are doing well.

Circles may overlap or one or more Circles can take place in succession.

Address

12851 56 Street NW

Edmonton, AB T5A 0C9