Set Up an FRP

What Are FRPs?

Family Resource Programs offer an informal model of services which are preventative and provide very early intervention to families with young children. Activities are designed to increase capacity including physical, social and emotional health, parenting, lifelong learning, and community development.

They may include fathering groups, family literacy activities, clothing exchanges, community kitchens, parenting sessions, and workshops on topics of interest.

Sometimes known as Family Centres, these programs:

Enhance child and family well-being by reducing the isolation of parents and are open to all families
Provide information and resources that encourage healthy child development and positive parenting
Act as friendly access points to more traditional community services

Examples of programs

Family Resource Programs are responsive to participants’ diverse needs.

For example, babies, toddlers, and preschoolers can explore stimulating and safe environments, manipulate materials, play alongside other children of different ages, learn songs and rhymes during Circle Time, and share the pleasures of picture books with their parents. Parents or caregivers are able to talk with other participants and staff about the joys and challenges of child rearing, chat with a public health nurse, borrow high quality and age appropriate toys, books and equipment, or access resources on a myriad of topics from car seat safety to understanding temperament. Specific program components are developed in response to identified needs.

What are Family Resource Program Foundational Basics?

FRP-BC member
Co-locate to serve families best
Quality Assurance:
- FRP-BC Provincial Standards of Practice (currently being condensed and simplified on Members-only platform for more accessibility); or COA or CARF if the FRP was itself accredited within larger service organization
- Annual program participation evaluation: recommend Families Canada e-Valuation.
- Logic Model, Annual Stats kept, and story told
Suggested: 1 minimum Family Support Practitioner and 1 ECE family-centred practitioner deliver every session
If possible, seek out qualified volunteers: this gives life to the Family Resource Model and shows the contributions by families are welcome
Drop-in component: critical and central to all other programs delivered
- Open 1–5 times a week for 2–3 hours
Strive to be strength-based and empowering in all ways:
- Language is critical: those who attend are referred to as participants
- Space is held for contribution on a variedly of levels: from participants, from partners, from elders, from community business, etc.
Develop a Statement of Reconciliation: FRP-BC shares our Statement with everyone
- Demonstrate reconciliation practices in curriculum and relationships
Deliver evidence-based parenting programs for healthy regulation*
- Deliver registered parent, child and family workshops such s as Nobody’s Perfect (national)
- All curriculum designed to draw parent closer to child and to build parent confidence
Information and Referral: develop and maintain relationships with organizations that provide
- Early Years Community Table
- Multicultural/Settlement and Refugee Organizations
- Indigenous Early Years Services
- Early Years Teams within School Districts
- Child Care Resources
- Child Development Centres/Early Intervention Programs
- Infant Mental Health (i.e., Child Youth Mental Health) and Public Health
- Health Unit: Immunizations, PHN, Dental Hygienist, Lactation and Doula Consultation, or Prenatal Program
- Family Violence Prevention contacts
- Food Security in the community: Gardens, Community Kitchens
- Housing Supports
- Employment and Income Security
- Adult Mental Wellness (i.e., marital, budgeting, local counselling, support groups)
- Dad Central BC/Canada