Supporting Families Fund - Family Justice Initiatives Component

Overview

The Supporting Families Fund is managed by both the Family, Children and Youth Section and the Programs Branch. The Fund supports a range of services, programs and information resources to make it easier for divorcing or separating parents to gain access to the family justice system.  The Fund is particularly focussed on services, programs, and information  resources that help parents comply with financial support and custody and access obligations.

For more information on the Family, Children and Youth Section as well as issues of importance to separating and divorcing families in the family justice system, please visit the Family Law section.

Who is eligible?

Provincial and territorial departments, agencies, or other organizations designated by provincial and territorial governments as responsible for child support, the enforcement of support orders and agreements and parenting arrangement programs and services are eligible to apply for contribution funding under the Family Justice Initiatives Component.

Objectives

The provincial and territorial governments are primarily responsible for providing family justice services in Canada. However, the Government of Canada is committed to helping the provinces and territories develop and maintain family justice services through the Family Justice Initiatives Component of the Fund. This component supports provincial and territorial family justice programs and services that promote compliance with financial support and custody and access obligations and meet the needs of parents and communities that face barriers in accessing the family justice system.

Activities/Projects

The Department of Justice Canada identified a set of Primary Areas of Activity (PAAs) at the outset of the Initiative in consultations with provincial and territorial officials. The PAAs are:

1. the coordination of family justice activities such as parenting arrangements, custody and access and family support compliance and enforcement;
2. the development, delivery, enhancement and expansion of innovative or integrated family justice activities and services;
3. the development, implementation, delivery or enhancement of services that deal with access to justice and compliance with custody and access obligations;  
4. the development, enhancement, and delivery of innovative family support enforcement and compliance activities;
5. provincial and territorial efforts as they relate to the establishment, variation and recognition of inter-jurisdictional support orders;
6. research, evaluation, project monitoring and performance measurement activities; and
7. public awareness and understanding of the family justice system.

How to Apply for Funding

Provincial and territorial partners must submit their proposals to the Department of Justice Canada for approval.

Official Languages

In support of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act the Department is committed to facilitate the participation of official language minority communities and their organizations in the development and assessment of the Department's policies, programs and services having significant impact on the development of the communities; and to take measures to ensure that the Department of Justice's programs and services reach official language minority communities. In the context of project funding, these measures include:

• Outreach to official language minority communities to enhance their understanding of the Department of Justice funding programs
• Encouraging contacts between organizations that are receiving financial assistance and official language minority organizations/groups to ensure that the needs of these communities are taken into consideration in relation to the proposed projects to be considered for Department of Justice Canada funding.

Sustainable Development

The Department of Justice encourages applicants to submit proposals electronically.  If you submit your application on paper, please consider printing on both sides of the paper. These actions will minimize environmental impacts.

Send the application form by e-mail to pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca.

Contact Information

For further information, you can:

• Phone the Program Development Unit 613-954-8017
• Fax the Program Development Unit at 613-952-9600
• Or write to us at:
  Department of Justice Canada
  Program Development Unit
  Family, Children and Youth Section
  284 Wellington Street
  Ottawa , ON K1A 0H8