What is the Family and Natural Supports program?
The Family and Natural Supports program (FNS) aims to strengthen the relationships that youth have with their families or other significant adults in their lives to help prevent homelessness. This approach can be applied in various ways, such as a standalone program, a guiding philosophy, or as part of broader interventions like Housing First for Youth.
Across 10 Making the Shift demonstration sites in Canada, surveyed 118 youth at the start of the program and 98 six months after their entry to assess whether the FNS program had improved their lives. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with 28 youth and 19 family and support members. In total, seven focus groups were held with youth, and two focus groups were conducted with family and natural support participants. Their research found:
- Caseworkers provided emotional support and acted as mentors, reducing family stress
- The FNS program improved the youth’s communication and conflict-resolution skills
- The FNS program helped youth build self-esteem and focus on commitments like school and future career goals