welcome to NativeCourtworkers

Family and Youth Services

Our Mission

The Native Youth and Family Advocate program is to advocate on behalf of aboriginal parents who require guidance and support with family matters.  A Family/Youth Advocate is someone who encourages, knows when to listen, cares, keeps confidences, withholds judgments, provides information and is a positive role model.  The Family/Youth advocate will ensure that aboriginal families:

• Understand the family court process and are heard
• Understand and gain access to an appeal process in family matters
• Are protected and safe
• Have access to community resources or services
• Have access to legal education
• Are informed on the needs and rights of aboriginal children and their rights to legal assistance
• Have access through negotiation, mediation, conciliation and other dispute resolution process

Program Goals and Objectives

• To promote the prevention, early identification, reporting, and treatment of child abuse and neglect and domestic abuse
• Strengthen family functioning in a manner that increases the competency and self-sufficiency of aboriginal families
• Preserve families in which abuse has occurred without compromising the health, welfare, and safety of the families
• Collaborate with local social service agencies
• Provide effective treatment for all family members when appropriate
• Identify the gaps between services available to aboriginal families
• Identify services essential to aboriginal families

When to Call a Family/Youth Advocate:

• At the start of a child protection investigation
• Child apprehension
• Family mediation
• Court order negotiations
• Community referrals
• Family progress reports
• Court appearances
• Family separation