These two reports reflect a longstanding partnership between Fairness for Children Raised by Relatives (F4CRR) and Dr. Barbara Lee of UBC’s Centre for the Study of Services to Children and Families (CSSCF).
At the 2026 Gathering – Seeds of Change, Growing Fairness in Vernon BC, Dr Lee spoke about two very important reports recently published. This work brings together research and lived experience, with kinship caregivers helping to shape the questions, share their experiences and identify what needs to change. The research teams are grounded in a simple belief: the people who live the experience need to be part of the conversation about how services are designed and delivered.
Two of the co-authors, Shari Monsma and Gail Moilliet, are founding members of F4CRR and continue to serve on the Board. As kinship caregivers and long-time advocates, they bring personal experience as well as years of involvement in the work of F4CRR. Their contribution after years of working alongside other kinship caregivers, alongside Dr. Lee and the CSSCF team, helps ensure that the voices of kinship caregivers are not simply included in the research — we are an important part of shaping it.
Reimagining Family Support Services
What would family support services look like if they were designed with kinship caregivers, rather than simply for them? This report brings together the experiences and ideas of kinship caregivers across British Columbia who shared what it is really like to navigate services while raising a relative’s child. It looks at the challenges families face, what is working, and where the system can do better — from being heard and respected to getting the information, financial help and other supports families need.
For F4CRR, this report is another important step in making sure the voices of kinship caregivers are heard. Our families know what is needed because we live it every day. The report points to the need for more consistent and equitable support, culturally respectful and trauma-informed services, and better communication and collaboration between families and service providers. Most importantly, it reminds us that when relatives step up to care for children, they should not have to navigate the system alone.
Monsma, S., Molliet, G., Lee, B., Ng, C. S., Turone, K., Neva, K., & Cathcart, M. (2025). Reimagining Family Support Services : Perspectives from Kinship Caregivers [R]. Doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0451072
What We Wish We Knew
Taking on the care of a relative’s child can happen quickly, and there is often very little time to figure out what you need to know. What We Wish We Knew brings together the experiences of kinship caregivers and the lessons they learned along the way. It offers practical information and insight into some of the things caregivers may wish they had known from the beginning — from navigating the system and finding supports to understanding the changes that come with having a child come to live with you.
No one should have to learn everything the hard way. By sharing what other kinship caregivers have learned, this resource can help families feel a little more prepared and a little less alone. We hope it helps caregivers ask questions, find the right supports and know that the challenges they are facing are shared by many others who have stepped up to care for a child in their family.
Together, these reports add to a growing body of knowledge about what kinship families need and how BC can do better in supporting them.
Monsma, S., Molliet, G., Lee, B., Zhou, Q., Cathcart, M., Neva, K., & Duhra, I. (2026). “What We Wish We Knew” : Findings from a World Café on knowledge gaps and kinship caregivers perspectives on social worker practice [R]. Doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0456358
