Kinnections

Submitted on Thursday, 01/09/2020 - 5:36 am

About Kinnections 

When children require government care, placement with kin offers them an unparalleled sense of belonging and family connectedness. Kinnections provides services to kinship caregivers and their families, so children in the care of the government can experience safety, wellness and permanence with relatives and significant others with whom they share a special bond.

Our staff work alongside kinship families in their home and in the community to support them through the changes associated with kinship care, to build the caregivers’ capacity to care for kinship children, and to support meaningful connections and the child’s transition to a forever home.

Who this Program Supports

The program provides services to kinship caregivers and their families once a child enters government care and is placed in a kinship home.

Our Approach

The program endeavours to connect supports and services around the child by working in collaboration with the kinship caregivers and the child and family team.

Services include an overview of kinship care, assistance with meeting kinship care requirements, support with permanency planning, parent training, and help accessing the services and resources caregivers and their families need.

Services are individualized and take into account the family’s voice and culture. We believe in the magic of kinship.

Committed To Excellence

Staff are trained in trauma-informed care approaches, such as Dr. Perry’s Neurosequential Model (NM), and have access to Hull’s NM services.
Staff are knowledgeable in the delivery of developmentally sensitive parenting approaches, and they understand the needs and challenges faced by kinship caregivers.

Hull’s Kinnections program partners with the Kinnections program through McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association to deliver caregiver training and establish best practice.

Program staff are Child and Youth Care Certified through the Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta (CYCAA), and are members of the Association for Counselling Therapy in Alberta (ACTA).

How to Access the Program

Kinnections is a managed-referral program. Families are referred by Calgary and Area Children’s Services.

Links:

Calgary and Area Child and Family Services
McMan Youth Family and Community Services Association

For more information contact