AT FAMILY SERVICE REGINA,
WE KNOW THAT WHEN WE HELP AN INDIVIDUAL OR A FAMILY,
THE BENEFIT FLOWS TO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
History of Family Service Regina
Our work is grounded in over 100 years of history responding to the needs of people in our community. We work with individuals, families and communities in all their forms, who are currently in distress or at risk.
We are a member organization of Family Service Canada and we are accredited by the Canadian Centre for Accreditation, which recognizes standards for quality in agencies that provide family services and employee assistance programs.
What is now Family Service Regina began in 1913 as the Bureau of Public Welfare. In dire economic times, the organization was founded with the goal of administering “poor relief”. The Bureau closed in 1918, near the end of World War I. The Regina Welfare Bureau was revived in 1931 as the country plummeted into the Great Recession. Again, the goal was to coordinate local efforts to provide material aid to those hardest hit by the economic climate. Over time, the agency defined support and intervention for families as a particular area of expertise.
As the years went on, the Bureau adapted to meet changing local needs. From its beginnings assisting families disrupted by the upheaval of war, it grew to provide advocacy during housing shortage and Homemaker Services to help preserve struggling family units. Renamed “Family Service Bureau of Regina” in 1956, the agency was active in early Home Care services and Meal on Wheels, rehabilitation for ex-prisoners, and family counselling.
Since its inception, the agency has reflected the pressing concerns of the many communities within Regina. Today’s Family Service Regina continues to respond to the changing economic and demographic environment and to create effective services to meet emerging needs. Whether it’s providing counselling services to a family struggling with changing circumstances, providing support to a teen mother facing adult responsibilities, or helping victims of domestic violence find their voice in the criminal justice system, our ambition remains the same: We offer support, hope and opportunities to help people grow healthy families and strong communities.
Mission
To create well-being for individuals and families in our community.
Vision
To create a safe, inclusive and vibrant community where all people are resilient and thriving.
Values
Respect & Dignity
Diversity • Empowerment • Innovation
Accountability
Our Statement
Family Service Regina envisions a safe, inclusive and vibrant community in which all people are resilient, confident and filled with hope. Therefore, Family Service Regina is committed to a path of ongoing reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples based on mutually respectful relationships. We affirm our commitment to and support The Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, especially those that speak to child welfare and individual and family wellbeing, inclusiveness and justice.
Motivated by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, we seek to be part of the journey to reconciliation with Indigenous communities. This begins with the recognition that healing and reconciliation first require an understanding of the historic experience and current experiences of Indigenous and Metis communities in Saskatchewan. Family Service Regina has committed to incorporating into our core training for staff members information on the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations and the histories of the Metis Nation.
We have also committed to a recruitment strategy to increase the representation of people with First Nations, Aboriginal, Metis and Inuit heritage on our staff and board.
Our Partners
Annual Reports
Audited Statements
Strategic Plan
Leadership Team
Kirk Englot
Chief Executive Officer
Wanda Blake
Chief Development Officer
Sarah Mercer
Director of Operations and FSEAP
Joan Gunayon
Director of Finance
Christine Andres
Director of Counselling and Community Outreach
Jen Renwick
Director of Gender Based Violence Prevention Services
Nolan Koros
Office Manager
Board of Directors
2023 – 2024 Board of Directors
President – Jim Hall
Vice-President – Leslie Trobak
Treasurer – Mary Turtle
Past President – Michael Hagen
Director – Esosa Idahosa
Director – Greg Hovdestad
Director – Kent Peterson
Director – Carrie Carson
Director – Ashley Pipko-Huzil
Director – Amy McRae
Director – Stephanie Kievits
Director – Sheena McCallum