As part of the 2023-24 provincial budget, the Government of Saskatchewan issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking the development of four Supportive Family Living Programs across the province. This comes as part of a $1.3 million investment in support of Social Services.
These locations include Moose Jaw, Fort Qu’Appelle, Prince Albert, and Saskatoon, and will help an additional 17 families safely care for their children.
In the Moose Jaw location, the program must be able to provide space to support four families and their children.
Families with children in need of complex medical care or with intellectual disabilities can apply to a Supportive Family Living Program, and while they wait for an opening in the program, these newly provided spaces will help with necessities.
With a family-centered approach, the created spaces must support children at immediate risk who would otherwise require out-of-home care, frequent travel, and added medical costs.
Two established providers include Hope’s Home in Regina and Catholic Family Services of the Battlefords in North Battleford. Some of the support they offer includes grocery and meal planning, housekeeping and laundry, help meeting appointments, housing options, and help seeking employment. These providers are two examples of the service being requested.
In the 2022-23 fiscal year, $9.7 million was invested by the province to fund 13 programs. Together, 137 spaces were provided across the province and approximately 2,500 children in need of protection were allowed to remain safely in their own home.
The approach provides residential, as well as community support, where needed and is geared toward families in crisis. Access to First Nations culture, elders, and ceremony is assured thanks to the program.
"Programs that strengthen families and allow them to safely remain together work very well to address current and future child protection issues," Minister of Social Services Gene Makowsky said.
Makowsky added: “These new spaces will provide more intensive supports to families that need it, allowing more parents to receive emergent services, and minimizing time children spend in out-of-home care while families await admission to these programs.”
The provincial government is seeking out a qualified proponent who can develop and run a space in Moose Jaw.
For proponents interested in the program, contract bidding is now open on www.SaskTenders.ca and is posted under competition number CFP-2023-04.
For additional information, Jamie Hearn with Saskatchewan Social Services in Regina can be reached at [email protected].
The RFP submission deadline is August 8, 2023.
