- The Family Reunification Program is a pilot project awarded to Aspen and one other agency in Calgary in 2008.
- The program is short term and intensive with the goal of returning children home more quickly.
- Biological parents are expected to take an active role in identifying the services and supports they need.
- Foster Parents assume a primary role in helping families learn healthy parenting skills.
The Family Reunification Program is a short term, intensive program designed to help children in foster care return to their family as soon as possible. Foster Parents and Family Facilitators work directly with parents to improve their parenting skills and personal functioning in order that they can provide a happy, healthy and safe home environment for their children.
The Family Reunification Program involves parents as active members of the team in every stage of the program. The inclusion of parents at each step increases the potential to build strong working relationships in an open, honest and trusting atmosphere.
Foster Parents receive ongoing training and support to enhance their understanding of the different challenges that families might experience and how they can better support the family as a whole.