Based on our conversations with families from every corner of the province, we hear time and time again that family support is one of the most valued supports a family can receive.
A family support worker can become a parent’s go-to person, the person they know they can turn to. They make time to listen, get to know the family, and understand what matters most to them. They may not always have all the answers, but they are willing to sit alongside a family, research options, and help find the right person or resource.
Most importantly, family support is about relationships. Family support workers build trust, offer practical help, and walk alongside families at their own pace.
Kinsight’s Family Support Program
This month, we are excited to feature Kinsight’s Family Support Program, which reflects the kind of relationship-based support families tell us makes a real difference.
For seven decades, Kinsight has supported people with developmental disabilities of all ages and their families in New Westminster, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore, and Belcarra. Kinsight has been a proud member of the Inclusion BC federation since our early days. Together, we share a vision of communities where everyone belongs, and Kinsight puts that vision into action every day in the communities they serve.
Families value Kinsight’s Family Support Program because it starts with listening. Family support workers work with families individually while also creating opportunities for families to connect through group activities, workshops, and shared learning.
Individual support is shaped around each family’s priorities and needs. Family support workers can help families:
- understand and navigate the systems they are connected with
- identify priorities and explore possible next steps
- prepare for and participate in meetings
- build knowledge and skills through workshops and learning opportunities
- connect with community and professional services
- explore ways to advocate for their family member in different settings
- receive support through home visits and other forms of individualized assistance.
Whether a family is looking for information, trying to understand a system, preparing for a meeting, or needs someone to listen, family support workers walk alongside them in a person-centred way.
Building Confidence Through Relationships
What makes family support so valuable is not just the information or referrals a family receives. It is knowing someone is there to listen, understand, and help make sense of what can often feel like an overwhelming system.
Kinsight’s approach demonstrates the power of relationships in supporting families. By communicating regularly, respecting each family’s culture, values, priorities, and pace, family support workers build trust. Over time, families can gain greater confidence, knowledge, and connections to advocate for what matters to them and create inclusive lives for their children with developmental disabilities (young or adult) and the whole family.
Family support does not mean having all the answers. It means not having to figure everything out alone.
Stronger Together: Kinsight and Inclusion BC
Kinsight is an important part of the Inclusion BC federation, working alongside our federation across British Columbia to advance inclusion and belonging for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.
While our roles are different, we share a vision and a commitment to making inclusion a reality. Kinsight provides local, relationship-based support to people and their families, while Inclusion BC brings together experiences from across the province to advocate for systemic change.
The experiences and priorities we hear from people and their families help inform our advocacy, while our provincial advocacy works to address the barriers they face. Together, we support people today while working toward the broader changes needed to build truly inclusive communities.
Relationships are at the heart of this work. Through the Inclusion BC federation, we are stronger together.
This article was featured in our monthly newsletter, Inclusion in Action.
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