A Place to Go : Stories from Participants of Family Resource Programs (English)

[Introduction]: " Family Resource Programs (FRPs) offer a model of early childhood learning and care embedded within environments that offer multiple services that are universally accessible and responsive to the needs and aspirations of families. The services provided by FRPs are aimed at engaging families in pursuing states of well-being for themselves and their children. In contrast to the traditional service delivery approach, FRPs embrace empowerment practices where service providers see themselves as catalysts or facilitators rather than as experts, and clients are seen as participants rather than as recipients. As such, in a family resource environment, there is a non-hierarchical and participatory approach to family support. FRPs have deep roots in the community and are an integral resource for building networks of support for participants and their families. There are over 2,000 FRPs across Canada, reaching hundreds of thousands of families. 

The everyday experiences of participating in FRPs reveal cascading levels of engagement, leading to multiple outcomes of value and significance. It is through these experiences, captured in the stories and dialogues voiced by participants, that we come to understand the essence of Family Resource Programs. These stories provide us with an appreciation of the far-reaching outcomes of this inclusive, community-based model of services for children and families."