Get To Know The Support To Family Care Network Team
The Support To Family Care Network program began in January of 2003 when Interior Community Services was successful in securing funding from MCFD to provide service to the Thompson, Cariboo, Revelstoke, Golden, East and West Kootenay areas. Several of our staff are long term and the trusting working relationships they have established with Foster Parents, Out of Care/Kinship Caregivers, community agencies, Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies, First Nations bands and Ministry staff is the key to our program’s success.
Mission Statement
Interior Community Services enriches the lives of individuals and families by providing integrated family support, individual life skills development and safe nurturing home environments designed to assist people to live to their potential in the community.
Who We Are:
We are proud to support 800 Foster Parents and Out of Care / Kinship Caregivers in our service areas including caregivers fostering for Indigenous Child and Family Service Agencies and First Nations bands:
- Kari Bepple – Program Coordinator
- Marna Forsyth – All areas virtually
- Renata Bonthoux/Jessica Galbraith – serve Ashcroft, Barriere, Clearwater, Kamloops, Lillooet, Merritt and Revelstoke
- Tabitha Fournier – serve 100 Mile House and Williams Lake
- James Weir – serves Golden, Cranbrook, Creston, Invermere, Fernie and Elk Valley
- Jane Wesko (sub-contracted with ARC Programs Ltd.) – serves Trail, Castlegar, Nelson, Nakusp and Boundary
What We Do:
- Support Caregiver groups in each community as they build peer support.
- Coordinate the delivery of the Safe Babies training for our communities.
- Support recruitment and retention of Foster Parents.
- Help to strengthen Caregivers' knowledge and skills by offering relevant training to the communities served, such as: Working with Natural Families, Grief & Loss, Attachment and Trauma.
- Provide support during a protocol investigation or informal resolutions of issues meeting.
- Build community connections and partnerships to meet the needs of Caregivers.
- Work in collaboration with MCFD, Indigenous Child and Family Services Agencies, First Nations communities, and other stakeholders where possible to meet the needs of the Caregivers we serve.
- Offer opportunities for Foster Parents to establish mentoring relationships between experienced and new Foster Parents.
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
