Supporting Children and Families
Sometimes when you and your children are struggling, the road ahead can seem confusing and intimidating. When you begin to reach out for help it may feel as if you are struggling to put the pieces of a puzzle together. Through counselling, information, referral, service coordination and advocacy we can help you begin to solve that puzzle. At Family Counselling Centre we are ready to assist you as you sort out what you and your children need, and to support you to work toward positive change.
STARRting Point
STARRting Point provides information and referrals for all children’s services in Lambton County and provides a single point of access for all children’s residential placements.
Funded through the Ministry of Children & Youth Services, STARRting Point helps families take advantage of more than one program that the community has to offer and helps those with complex needs develop a coordinated plan for the services they require. There is no fee for this service.
Family, Couple & Individual (FCI) Counselling
Family, Couple & Individual (FCI) Counselling services provide assistance to those needing help dealing with Life’s Challenges, such as :
- family difficulties
- marital conflict
- grief
- stress
- separation or divorce
- anxiety
- depression
- anger management
Through solution-focused interventions, professionally trained counsellors help individuals and families to improve their level of functioning, their satisfaction with life and their involvement with interpersonal relationships.
FCI Counselling services are supported, and subsidized by:
The Sarnia-Lambton United Way, which helps to ensure that low-income families receive professional assistance when they need to reach outside their traditional support networks, (proof of income is required); and
Employee and Family Assistance Programs – EFAPs, offered by many employers and unions as part of a health and benefits program. EFAP programs cover the cost of counselling for eligible employees and their dependents.
Counselling can also be purchased on a fee-for-service basis by individuals recognizing the need to obtain assistance in addressing Life’s Challenges.
Call 519-336-0120 to book an appointment .
Supervised Access Sarnia Lambton
Supervised Access provides a safe, neutral, child-focused setting for visits and exchanges between a non-custodial parent or other adult, such as a grandparent, in cases where there is a concern for the safety of the child and/or the custodial parent. Partially funded by the Ministry of the Attorney General, the service covers the Court District of Lambton County; there is a fee for the service. To arrange to use Supervised Access, call 519-336-0120.
Families and Schools Together (F&ST)
Families and Schools Together (F&ST) is an early intervention and prevention program designed for families with young children.
Families gather with other families weekly for eight sessions at the child’s school. After “graduating” from the eight-week cycle, F&ST graduates are invited to take part in a F&STWORKS group which meets once a month for up to two years.
The goals are to:
- Enhance family functioning;
- Promote the child’s success in school;
- Prevent substance abuse by the child and family; and
- Reduce the stress that parents and children experience from daily life situations.
The Early Years Challenge Fund through the Ministry of Community, Family and Children’s Services, Lambton County Social Services, along with other fundraising and donations provide the funding for this service. There is no fee to the families involved in the program.
Kids on the Block (KOB)
Through the use of life-sized puppets and volunteer puppeteers Kids on the Block (KOB) provides community education, primarily in local schools, about:
- Developmental disabilities;
- Substance abuse;
- Childhood Obesity;
- Head injury safety; and
- Sexual abuse prevention.
There is no fee for this service, which depends entirely on fundraising and donations for financial support.
