Empowering Our Children and Youth

Circle of Life Program - Child and Youth Support Services (in most regions)

This program provides children involved with the Agency with planned, individualized and group support and mentoring from one-to-one support workers. The program connects with youth to provide guidance and support through relationships based on trust and open communication. Engaging with families and expanding the children's knowledge and understanding of their culture and history are also key aspects of the program. The program workers facilitate The Little Bears activity based support group.

One-to-One Mentor Program (Winnipeg)

The objective of this program is to enrich the lives of Metis families and to facilitate self-reliance using a family focused, culturally sensitive approach. The program matches a trained mentor with a family or young person to develop a supportive relationship building on the family or youth's strengths. The mentor is guided by the family to provide support and assistance toward developing long lasting strategies to overcome existing and future challenges. The mentor coaches, guides, role models and advocates using a non-judgmental, solution focused, supportive approach. Mentors strive to identify and focus on the existing strengths of youth and families throughout their relationship.

Youth Outreach - S.A.S.H. Program (Winnipeg)

S.A.S.H. (So Adolescents Stay Home) is an outreach program focused on high risk youth who may routinely stay away from home and engage in high risk behaviours. The program focuses on safety, stabilization and prevention. A critical component is the development of a connection and a relationship with a trusted adult. The workers actively reach out to at risk youth in an effort to develop relationships and work with them to develop safety plans. The youth are supported in reconnecting to family and social support/community networks.

Skills for Life Program (Winnipeg)

This program focuses on enhancing youth's life skills to prepare them for interdependent living. Program staff are sensitive to the challenges and uncertainties of transitioning from adolescence to young adulthood and guide the youth through a series of structured learning sessions. Staff offer one-to-one and group supports to assist individuals to master skills. Budgeting, banking, cooking, nutrition, self-care, safety, housing and access to community resources are key areas of teaching.

Life Long Connections Program (Winnipeg)

This program promotes, acknowledges and respects the need to ensure that every child and youth in care has at least one life long connection with someone who is committed to a permanent, supportive relationship with them. The life long connections worker actively seeks out family or significant individuals to determine if they are able to build a life long, supportive relationship with the youth. The goal is to expand the circle of supportive individuals in the child's life.

Metis Spirit Program (Winnipeg)

Michif Child and Family Services, in partnership with the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF), identified that youth require a more gradual transition from being a youth in care to an independent adult. There is a significant need for ongoing support services for youth once they reach the age majority to assist them as they transition out of care. The age of majority staff involved with this program support, coach and mentor youth to gain the necessary life skills required to live independently in the community. Support if offered individually and in groups.

The program also offers an outreach component for youth who are not actively engaged in an age of majority plan to provide those youth with ongoing information about services that are available to them.

Honouring Our Youth

Michif Child and Family Services holds quarterly celebrations to honour youth who have reached their 18th birthday and are leaving the care of the Agency. Each celebration offers youth an opportunity to celebrate this significant milestone with their friends, family and support network.