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Families for a Secure Future is committed to reaching out to and supporting individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Families are supported by establishing a network of local family groups across Ontario. These mutual support groups come together to learn and to support one another to take the next step toward imagining and creating a better future for their sons/daughters.
Once families join together to establish a family group, it is up to each group to determine what they want to pursue individually and collectively. For example as a group they need to decide if there are things that they want to learn about and if so what; what do they want to get better at as a group; what capacities do they want to build that will assist them as a group in getting what they want; what kind of mutual support do they want to create among themselves ie. how will they support one another...
Individually, the Facilitator helps the family to decide what kind of planning they want to do with and on behalf of their son/daughter; what are the most pressing issues facing the family and the individual and how can these issues be dealt with…The Facilitator helps them in clarifying their personal and collective visions of how best to support their sons and daughters to become more part of their communities and to lead a meaningful life. In some instances the Facilitator can create learning experiences within the group and bring information to the group in that way and in other instances the Facilitator can help the group to find learning opportunities outside the group.
The Facilitator's role is to help create a space for families to meet and talk about what matters to them and their sons/daughters. When families come together the topics that get covered are usually weighty and complex. This entails a level of confidentiality and trust among the members of the group and the Facilitator. The Facilitator brings his/her experience and resources to bear on the questions that are raised in the group.
Some family groups find it helpful to dedicate a part of their time together on giving updates. Each family will go around the circle and talk about their own lives and share what is happening with each of their children. This provides an opportunity to speak about the trials and successes that they are encountering in trying to plan for their sons/daughters futures as well as in helping them to have a more meaningful life.
It is important for families to have a place that they will really be heard, where people do not judge or condemn and where people understand. Sharing with each other in this way also helps families learn how it is possible to make things happen for their individual children and how others are going about it. Often during updates families get fired up to take the next step in their own situations. By participating in a family group, parents learn that the group does not just exist for the sake of their children but they benefit as individuals as well in terms of their own development.
In addition to sharing updates at meetings, many groups dedicate another part of their time together to one or two of three main things; business; study and learning together; and socials/celebrations. At these meetings parents may do a brief "check-in" to see how each of them are feeling and then they move on to either the "business" of the group or learning about something. "Business" meetings may focus on decisions related to event fundraising, or writing proposals for funding; and matters related to the ongoing nature of the group ie, membership. Socials are often viewed by the group as essential to form the kind of bond they need to see each other through difficult times. Sometimes regular meetings are suspended due to the necessity of dealing collectively with a crisis of one of the group member families.
Community Explorers - Durham Region, Oshawa
Families for Quality Life - Durham Region, Pickering
North Durham Group - Durham Region, Port Perry
Hillsburgh/Erin - Guelph Wellington Region, East Wellington
New Beginnings - Guelph-Wellington Region, Centre Wellington
North Wellington Family Group - Guelph-Wellington Region, Mount Forest
Guelph Family Group-Wellington Region-Guelph
