Kelowna Youth and Family Services will be closing their doors by the end of this year.
After being operational for nearly 40 years, it will be shut down as part of the City's plan to revamp their model of providing support to those in the community.
“We’re transitioning away from the direct provision of counselling services,” says Community and Neighbourhood Services Manager Mariko Siggers. “Over the next year, or year-and-a-half, we’ll be looking at what our long term plan is going to look like.”
In the meantime, thanks to a partnership between the City and the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club, all current KYFS clients and their cases will be looked after.
“Youth and family services is still a high priority for the community and for the City, and we just want to make sure that our practices are in line with how we deliver our social services,” says Siggers.
The service has been funded by the City since 1979, providing free counselling for low-income families, while other families have received counselling at a cost determined by their income.