Consulting
Consulting with Family Council members and staff of long-term care homes via phone and email to provide information, help brainstorm ideas, and assist in resolving issues
About Family Councils Ontario
Family Councils Ontario works with long-term care home residents' families, Family Councils, and home staff across Ontario to enable them to cultivate positive relationships, build effective Family Councils, and improve the long-term care experience. Our mission is to lead and support families in improving quality of life in long-term care. Through working with families, long-term care home staff, and sector partners, we strive to create a safe, vibrant, inclusive, and respected long-term care system.
Our Services
At Family Councils Ontario, we believe that strong Family Councils create stronger long-term care communities. We are here to support, guide, and connect Family Councils across the province, ensuring that families and caregivers have the tools and knowledge they need to make a meaningful impact.
Whether you’re starting a new Family Council, looking to strengthen an existing one, or seeking resources to navigate long-term care, we are here to help. Family Councils Ontario supports Family Councils across the province by:
Educating
Educating prospective and current Council members on issues related to Family Councils and long-term care via presentations and workshop.
Training
Hosting in-person and online education sessions throughout the year on topics of interest to Family Councils such as elder abuse and neglect, capacity and consent, and self-care.
Hosting
Hosting in-person and online education sessions throughout the year on topics of interest to Family Councils such as elder abuse and neglect, capacity and consent, and self-care.
Supporting & Promoting
Supporting and promoting networking between Councils from different homes.
Connecting & Informing
Connecting and informing Family Councils via our website, Facebook page, and our YouTube Channel.
Mission, Vision and Values
Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide Family Councils Ontario in its work across the province. We use them to set our goals, plan our work, and evaluate our progress. They inform every aspect of what we do and how we do it.
Our Mission
Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide Family Councils Ontario in its work across the province. We use them to set our goals, plan our work, and evaluate our progress. They inform every aspect of what we do and how we do it.
Our Vision
Our Mission, Vision, and Values guide Family Councils Ontario in its work across the province. We use them to set our goals, plan our work, and evaluate our progress. They inform every aspect of what we do and how we do it.
Our Goals
- Cultivate Effective Family Councils
- Build the capacity of Family Council members to develop and nurture strong and effective Councils
- Promote a collaborative and effective relationship among Family Councils, long-term care homes and community partners
- Advance Public Policy & System Planning
- Seek opportunities to inform policy to improve the quality of life in long-term care
- Foster partnerships and relationships to increase impact
- Mobilize Knowledge Exchange
- Enable sharing of information, experience, ideas and expertise
- Engage in research and knowledge exchange
- Create tools and resources which empower families
Our Values
Building capacity: We value and celebrate the perspectives and contributions that Family Council members bring. We are committed to providing information and supports that build their capacity to effectively advocate on behalf of people living in LTC.
Strong engagement: We actively seek ways to welcome and engage stakeholders through engagement strategies that ensure that diverse perspectives will inform our work.
Diversity: we embrace diversity in all its forms, including gender, age, ability, disability, race, gender identity and language in our programs and services and support collaboration and mutual respect amongst residents and their families.
Constant learning: We continuously learn from our successes and mistakes and then apply them to do even better in our future endeavours. We regularly seek out feedback from Family Councils and other key stakeholders.
Meaningful collaborations: We form and then actively nurture meaningful collaborations in order to leverage resources and increase our impact.
Integrity: We are open and honest in all of our dealings and communications. We employ ethical oversight and ensure that information is timely, appropriate and clear.
Evidence-informed: We believe that diverse sources of knowledge should inform our work. We are committed to mobilizing knowledge generation and exchange for this purpose.
Good decision-making: We are rigorous in our decision-making processes. This means that we will be creative, thoughtful and decisive and are prepared to make tough decisions.
Our History
Family Councils' Program was a program of The Self Help Resource Center from 1998-2015. The program grew from a pilot project funded by an Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant in 1998 into a program funded by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) in 2004. In 2015, the program became Family Councils Ontario, an independent charitable nonprofit that continues to be funded by the Ontario government.
Key Milestones
In 2010, we celebrated the first-ever Family Council Day that has now grown into Family Council Week, an annual, week-long celebration of the enormous contribution Family Councils make to long-term care.
2013 was the inaugural year of the Family Council Member of the Year award. Now awarded annually, this award recognizes the contributions of an outstanding Family Council member.
2013 also marked our first-ever province-wide Family Council conference! ‘Family Councils Connect: Building Bridges!’ was held to provide Family Council members and Staff Assistants with information on developments in long-term care, Family Council best practices and skills for success, plus opportunities for networking. Since then, our biennial conference has become our signature event, bringing together families, LTC home staff, and sector stakeholders from across Ontario for two days of support, learning, and networking. Stay tuned for information on our 2021 event!
In January 2015, Family Councils Program launched into independence as Family Councils of Ontario, a charitable, non-profit provincial organization.
In 2018, the Ministry of Long-Term Care increased our operating budget, allowing us to create two new staff positions designed to increase our capacity to serve Family Council members and LTC home staff.
OUR TEAM
At Family Councils Ontario, our team is united by a shared commitment to supporting caregivers, families, and long-term care communities across the province. We bring together a diverse mix of experience in health care, education, community engagement, and family support. Each member of our team is passionate about creating meaningful connections, providing practical tools, and strengthening the impact of Family Councils. Together, we’re working to build a more informed, inclusive, and supportive long-term care system—one relationship at a time.