The MFRCS also does a lot to support morale on 4 Wing. These morale boosters including Mother’s and Father’s events, Deployment Appreciation Dinner, Scavenger Hunts, Car Rallies, Comedy Shows, Poker Nights, Story Time with Santa, Christmas Wreaths, and Home for the Holidays meals which all are free with hundreds of attendees each – File Photo
The Military Family Resource Centre Society provides several key supports for 4 Wing. These include childcare, mental health, Welcome and Deployment Services, personal development, Volunteer Services and Youth Programs. Beyond that the MFRCS provides many Morale Boosting activities and events.
Our Childcare Centre provides 88 daycare, 50 OSC, 20 preschool, and 16 evening casual care spaces for children. We also provide emergency childcare when CAF families are in times of crisis.
Many of these programs are heavily subsidized to take pressure off Military Families.
The Family Liaison Officer (FLO) is a full-time social worker that works with the Transition Centre to support transitioning members. The FLO also provides crisis intervention, assessments, and mental health referrals for military families. Included in this are five free sessions with a contracted Counselling Centre for each family member.
The Welcome Centre supports incoming CAF members through emails before they arrive with guidance on what they can expect from the MFRCS. Many members stop in during their house hunting trip and meet our staff and discuss what support we can provide in their transition. There is an annual Welcoming Event in September to help them connect and build community.
The Welcome Centre also does a lot to support members and families during deployment. This includes special send-off gifts for each member, along with sponsored gifts like 150 cans of coffee from Tim Hortons.
The families of deployed members are invited to monthly activities for the whole family as well as spouse only events. We also provide four hours weekly of free childcare to give the spouse a break.
Youth programing provides weekly activities for ages 6-9 yrs. old, 10-13 yrs. old, and 14-17 yrs. old. We also do special events for youth including dances, and sleepovers.
Our Family Education Department provides personal development including, first aid training, suicide prevention, mental health first aid, and leadership training. They also provide some creative and wholistic programing including crafts and paint nights, essential oils, meditation, scrapbooking, and sewing.
The MFRCS Volunteer program provides opportunities for individuals to participate by helping with activities, administration, regular operations.
The MFRCS also does a lot to support morale on 4 Wing. These morale boosters including Mother’s and Father’s events, Deployment Appreciation Dinner, Scavenger Hunts, Car Rallies, Comedy Shows, Poker Nights, Story Time with Santa, Christmas Wreaths, and Home for the Holidays meals which all are free with hundreds of attendees each.
The MFRCS does all of this to help create healthy, thriving families and members, who are resilient and deployable.
