Programs designed around the realities of kinship family life.
Building GRAND-Families has developed programming around kinship support navigation, connection, mental well-being, caregiver skills, family resilience and community understanding.
Information reviewed September 2026. Program availability depends on current funding, partnerships and family needs.
Programs are built around the realities of kinship family life
Building GRAND-Families began with caregivers finding one another and has grown into a mix of kinship support navigation, peer support, family experiences, caregiver learning, trauma-informed programming, research partnerships and public education. The goal is not to create one program and assume it fits every family. It is to build a network around caregivers and children, then adapt as needs change.
Peer support
Caregivers connect with people who understand the practical and emotional realities of becoming a parent again, often unexpectedly.
Find peer supportKinship support navigation
Guided Help, First Steps, the Resource Library, human navigation assistance and warm referrals help caregivers move from a practical problem to a useful next step.
See how navigation worksFamily camps
Shared family experiences create time for children and caregivers to connect, build relationships and participate in ordinary activities outside the pressure of appointments and systems.
Caregiver learning
Workshops and education have covered parenting, trauma, communication, mental well-being, family relationships and practical navigation.
Trauma-informed support
Programming has included access to counselling, psychoeducation and learning designed around the impact of trauma, grief and major family disruption.
Equine-assisted learning
Family programming has used structured equine-assisted learning to work on communication, boundaries, relationship building, confidence and resilience.
Professional education
Building GRAND-Families helps educators, service providers, researchers and decision makers better understand grandfamilies and kinship caregiving.
For professionalsCreating space for connection, not another appointment.
Building GRAND-Families has delivered family camp programming across multiple years, including 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Camp programming has combined recreation, family time, caregiver connection and opportunities for children to participate in activities with other families whose circumstances may look different from the traditional parent-led household.
In our 2026 evaluation, caregivers, children and staff consistently described connection, respite, belonging, child friendship, confidence and independence as important parts of the weekend.
Learning through relationships, boundaries and communication.
Building GRAND-Families has partnered with equine-learning providers to give caregivers and children another way to work on communication, confidence, boundaries and family relationships. Program materials describe structured family sessions rather than recreational horseback riding.
In 2024, this work expanded access for grandfamilies in different parts of Prince Edward Island through community partners, including programming in western and eastern PEI. Transportation and mileage were recognized as real barriers for families living outside central communities.
Programs should improve because families tell us what worked.
Participant reflections
Caregiver and family feedback helps identify what was useful, what felt difficult and what families want more of.
Staff observation
Program teams document participation, relationships, engagement and practical issues that may not appear in a survey.
Evaluation
Formal and informal evaluations help connect program decisions back to the organization's research, education and community-building goals.
What is currently available?
Peer support, family programs and workshops change with schedules and funding. Check the current-opportunities page before making plans.
Current opportunitiesPrograms do not operate in isolation
A camp cannot fix a custody problem. A support group cannot replace trauma therapy. A workshop cannot solve inadequate income. The strongest approach is to connect family programming with reliable information, professional services, government programs, community resources and advocacy.
Need help finding the right service?
Use Guided Help for a self-directed route or ask the Support Navigator when you are still not sure where to start.
Use Guided HelpNeed peer connection?
See current support-group information and contact us before travelling.
Peer supportWant to partner?
We welcome responsible community, professional and research partnerships that align with family needs.
Start a conversation