Support Services
Select a service to learn more
NIȽ TU,O Child and Family Services Society supports South Island Coast Salish families in self-determination and decision-making processes over their own families and children.
Our staff is committed to ensuring the safety of children, strengthening family relations, and enhancing the well-being of the families, communities, and nations we serve.
Guardianship
NIȽ TU,O’s Guardianship Services are provided for the Coast Salish children affiliated with the seven communities we serve who
- Have been assessed by MCFD and do not live with their parents right now, or
- Whose parents have asked us to provide temporary Guardianship services while they get the support they need.
These children are in NIȽ TU,O’s continuing care stream instead of foster care through MCFD.
To reduce the harm to children in this situation and provide an enhanced level of cultural safety, NIȽ TU,O provides both Guardianship social workers and caregivers to meet the needs of these children.
It’s important to note that the children’s needs and the role of caregiving is defined not in settler terms, but Coast Salish terms; NIȽ TU,O is the first DAA to operate based on Coast Salish definitions of care, as described in the Toolkit.
In addition to this important difference in the standard of care, children in NIȽ TU,O’s care have access to incredible, NIȽ TU,O run programs like Culture Camps. These programs are created to provide children in care with extended opportunities to connect with other children in their community and while ensuring continued exposure to the Coast Salish worldview.
We are proud to announce that due to the hard work of our staff, the majority of our children in care are being cared for by extended family members and are living within their communities.
Our goal for all children in our care is to have them reunited with their families or find a permanent home within the Coast Salish community to keep them connected to family, culture, and language.
“The activity took place in the NIȽ TU,O cultural building where Indigenous music was featured in the background and you could probably hear a pin drop because the kids were just so concentrated on what they were doing. To see them all quiet and concentrating so hard really showed how interested and excited the children were.”

Voluntary Support Service
NIȽ TU,O acknowledges the challenges of Coast Salish children and families are rooted in colonialism and its institutions.
As a Coast-Salish-led organization, we understand how overwhelming it can be to overcome systemic bias, racism, poverty, and housing challenges to raise happy, healthy children. (The majority of our staff come from Indigenous communities and have had similar experiences.)
As such, we offer numerous support services that seek to remedy the damage caused by colonialism, based on what our families tell us they need.
These support services are 100% voluntary and are provided to help us achieve our goal of keeping all Coast Salish children home with their families and communities. These supports can range from:
- Home support in the form of cleaning, pest removal, junk removal, and small renovations and improvements
- Counseling for domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, and more.
- Support with childcare for when parents need time to gather resources themselves, in the form of voluntary agreements and respite services.
Support services are tailored based on your unique family situation and what your needs are. Please call 250-544-1400. and ask for Intake to have a confidential information session.
“For them to be able to be at that camp, learning about their cultural identity and connecting with other kids that are experiencing the same things I think makes a huge difference. One girl shared this was the only place she could see her brother.”

Voluntary or Special Needs Agreements
Do you need time to address a situation that’s preventing you from providing the best care for your child(ren)?
If you need access to support and resources needed to help you address this situation, we are here to help.
Working together with a NIȽ TU,O social worker, we will create a plan of action to help you attain the kinds of changes you want to make. Together we will ensure you’re a well-supported parent, with the resources to raise happy and healthy children. This agreement can include placing children in NIȽ TU,O’s continuing care stream through NIȽ TU,O’s Guardianship Program.
Then, NIȽ TU,O is available to provide you with the needed time, resources, and support to make the necessary changes to your situation so you can welcome your children home.
These resources are tailored to your specific situation and may include.
- Home support in the form of cleaning, pest removal, junk removal, and small renovations and improvements
- Counseling for domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, and more.
- Support with childcare for when parents need time to gather resources themselves, in the form of voluntary agreements, extended family agreements and respite services.
Support services are tailored based on your unique family situation and what your needs are. Please call 250-544-1400. and ask for Confidential Intake to have a confidential information session.

Extended Family Program
Do you need time to address a situation that’s preventing you from providing the best care for your child(ren)?
If you need access to support and resources needed to help you address this situation, we are here to help.
Working together with a NIȽ TU,O social worker, we will create a plan of action to help you attain the kinds of changes you want to make. By accessing NIȽ TU,O’s programming you can ensure you are a well-supported parent, able to raise happy and healthy children. This agreement can include placing children in NIȽ TU,O’s continuing care stream through NIȽ TU,O’s Extended Family Program.
In this program, your children are placed with their extended family who is then provided with the parenting support they need while you work on your situation.
Now that you have a break from the pressures of parenting, you can focus on yourself and access the required time, resources, and support to welcome your children home.
These resources are tailored to your specific situation and may include.
- Home support in the form of cleaning, pest removal, junk removal, and small renovations and improvements
- Counseling for domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction, and more.
- Support with childcare for when parents need time to gather resources themselves, in the form of voluntary agreements, extended family agreements and respite services.
Support services are tailored based on your unique family situation and what your needs are. Please call 250-544-1400. and ask for Confidential Intake to have an information session.
Youth Agreements
Are you a youth 16-18 years of age affiliated with the seven South Island Coast Salish Nations we serve? Are you unable to live at home due to factors outside your control?
We are here to help provide you with support and resources that support your independence and wellbeing.
By working with a NIȽ TU,O social worker to discuss your needs, create a plan to implement the changes you’d like to see in your life, and make an agreement outlining the responsibilities of the parties to each other, you can access a significant level of support.
This agreement unlocks guidance, programs, and funding to help you develop the independence and life skills needed to succeed in your life.
These resources are tailored to your specific situation and may include.
- Financial assistance with housing
- Counseling services.
- Programs like “ready to rent” to equip you with the skills needed to live independently.
Support services are tailored based on your unique family situation and what your needs are. Please call 250-544-1400. and ask for Intake to have a confidential information session.

Agreements with Young Adults
Are you a youth 19-26 years of age affiliated with the seven South Island Coast Salish Nations we serve? Were you formerly in NIȽ TU,O’s continuing care stream or had a Youth Agreement with a NIȽ TU,O Social Worker?
We are here to help provide you with funding and resources that support your independence, training, and post-secondary education.
Support services are tailored based on your unique situation and what your needs are. Please call 250-544-1400. and ask for Intake to have a confidential information session.