Family & Children's Services of the Waterloo Region

09/14/2026

It's Week in Ontario, a time to honour kin families and alternate caregivers who open their hearts and homes to children and youth.

09/11/2026

For all those celebrating, Shana Tova! May this year be filled with sweetness, joy and countless blessings.

09/04/2026

08/07/2026

It's FACS Facts Friday!
This year’s Family Satisfaction Survey shows that more families are experiencing clearer communication and receiving responses more quickly. At the same time, many families continue to tell us that feeling heard, respected, and meaningfully involved in decisions is just as important as understanding the process.

The message is clear: improving services is about more than explaining what happens next—it is about building trusting relationships with families every step of the way.

We remain committed to listening, learning, and strengthening how we support children, youth, and families.

07/03/2026

Youth 4 Youth: Reimagining how systems work with young people
Youth have been clear: services don’t work when they are designed without them.
Through Youth 4 Youth, young people are helping shape programs and priorities across FACS — from co-designing the Family Centre Youth Room to engaging directly with leadership and Boards.
They’ve also identified key challenges facing their peers, including barriers to access, transportation and mental health supports, and limited opportunities as they transition out of care.
This work reflects a shift from delivering services to youth, to building supports with youth — creating more responsive, relevant, and youth-centred systems.

06/19/2026

This Sunday, June 21 marks National Indigenous Peoples Day.
This is a time to recognize and celebrate the rich cultures, histories, languages, and contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. It is also an important opportunity to reflect on the ongoing impacts of colonization and our shared responsibility in advancing reconciliation.
For many Indigenous communities, this day coincides with the summer solstice—a time of renewal, connection, and reflection—making it especially meaningful.
As a child welfare organization, this day holds particular significance. It calls on us to deepen our understanding of the historical and ongoing impacts of our sector on Indigenous children, families, and communities, and to continue taking meaningful steps toward change.
Willow River Park is holding a sacred fire ceremony starting at 9am.

06/19/2026

Sip, sip, hooray!

We highly recommend the Citrus Strawberry Rhubarb Float 🍊🍓and the Lemon Lavender Iced Matcha Latte 🍋🪻, made with Lavender Maple Syrup

And yes, they’re as dreamy as they sound 😍

Definitely 11/10 and totally worth the trip to

Go grab yours this month and support with every delicious sip!

06/09/2026

Healing of The Generations invites you to join us for our 6th year Annual Canoe day!

Our Canoe day is about community connecting and building a positive relationship with those who work within the Justice System. As this event is about connections and building positive relationships with one another, we encourage (but NOT mandatory) each trip/each canoe to have one community member and one justice worker.

This is a free event for ages 8 and up! Canoes, Life Jackets and Lunch will be provided!

There will be 2 different length options: 30 minutes and 3 hours.
Please note: we asked that if you are participating in the 3 Hour canoe trip, you arrive at Kiwanis for 8:30AM SHARP to launch by 9am! 30 minutes (starts at 8:30am as well) trips will run continuously, all day up until 2PM and can be taken more than once.

Please fill out the registration form here: https://form.jotform.com/261594480265261
Closing date for form is August 5th!

If you have any questions, comments and or concerns please contact Raven at [email protected]