The Family Leader Program at Grandview Kids comprises parents, caregivers, clients and siblings who support Grandview Kids as our advocates, ambassadors and advisors. We recognize clients and families/caregivers as our most important partners in care and consistently seek to meaningfully integrate lived experience into planning, quality improvement and decision making at Grandview Kids.
The Family Leader Program, supported by staff from our Family Engagement Team, includes many forums for families, caregivers and clients to get involved to make a difference for others in their community who access Grandview Kids programs and services. A robust Equity and Representation Framework guides Family Leader Program recruitment and monitoring to ensure the Program reflects the diversity of children, youth, caregivers, programs and communities served by the organization.
Ways to get involved:
- Family Advisory Council (FAC): A volunteer panel of parents/caregivers to Grandview Kids who provide advice and guidance from a client and family perspective. They aim to improve the planning and delivery of programs and services at Grandview Kids and across the broader paediatric health system. This group consists of appointed members, who meet regularly to discuss strategic topics that affect all families.
- Youth Advisory Council (YAC): A volunteer panel of clients, siblings and grads who host events and provide feedback to the organization on topics that affect youth clients and their families, while earning valuable volunteer hours.
- Working Groups: Parents and caregivers who temporarily volunteer, collaborating to address a specific issue facing Grandview Kids or those we serve. New groups are established as needs arise and disband once a project is completed.
- Ambassador Program: Families who tell their stories to support advocacy, awareness campaigns, fundraising initiatives, media opportunities and events.
- Community/Committee Representatives: Parents, caregivers, clients and grads who volunteer to represent Grandview Kids on community committees (outside of Grandview Kids), using their lived experience to provide feedback on specific topics that affect children or youth with disabilities (or their families).
- Paid Advocates: Paid participants who assist in the development, implementation or evaluation of projects or research, using their lived experience as either Grandview Kids clients or caregivers to provide feedback on specific topics.
For more information on the Family Leader Program, or to get involved in a current opportunity, please email familyengagement@grandviewkids.ca.
