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Excitement is Brewing as Enhancement Initiatives get Underway

Canadian Forces (CF) Family Advisory Committee and Working Group meetings have now begun in Ottawa, marking a time of enrichment, growth and change for all who work in CF Family Services. Over the coming months, the committees and groups will get together to remember where the Military Family Service Program (MFSP) started, to acknowledge where we are today, and to recognize just how far we’ve come. Most importantly, they will help determine where we’d like the MFSP to go in the future, and how to successfully get us there.

At the CF Family Services Summit held in Toronto this May, six key themes for MFSP enhancement emerged: deployment and reunion, employment, mental health and social supports, education, health care, and child care. The Chief Military Personnel (CMP) established Advisory Committees to prepare recommendations and to provide guidance for the enhancement of MFSP services in these areas. Each Advisory Committee is formed from a diverse group of volunteers, including CF family members and community members, all with backgrounds that give them special understanding of their committee’s theme. They’re the ideal people, whose understanding and experience gives them a unique perspective. Their vision is integral to the success of the MFSP as it broadens its horizons.

So far, the Advisory Committee and Working Group meetings have been a rewarding experience for participants. In a collaborative meeting between the Working Group and Advisory Committees for employment, the Working Group said they are benefiting from the fresh perspectives of the Advisory Committee members. “People who aren’t entirely enmeshed in an issue, they see it differently,” commented one group member. “It’s also refreshing and affirmative to have the involvement of the military spouses, those with personal experience.”

With so many passionate people coming together to consider how to enhance the MFSP, it’s hard not feel energized. As Celine Thompson, Director of Military Family Services, said, “There is a unique window of opportunity right now. This is the most exciting time to be in family services!”