Since the Brantford Chapter of Safe Families was established in 2022, Christine Schmidt and her team have been dedicated to helping families who face a host of challenges within the community.
Schmidt, who has a background in working in pregnancy care centres, explained how the organization was originally founded in 2003 in the United States and was established in Canada less than a decade later.
“Jennifer Francis had heard about Safe Families on a mission trip. And when she returned to Canada in 2010, she wanted to start up the organization. She then worked on it, getting a team [together] to help out with all the policies and procedures [and] it was started in 2012 in Canada. The Brantford chapter was launched in January of 2022, and there are currently about 16 chapters across Canada,” Schmidt explained. “We have a mission that we are here to extend community support by honorably [helping] children and strengthening families in crisis through a network of Christian volunteers from local churches motivated by obedience to Christ and compassion towards strangers. So the whole idea is that the church is called to support the vulnerable, the lonely, and the hurting, and to practice hospitality and care for those who are facing crises, [and] providing support and care for those who have no one.”
However, the organization has utilized a model that has been successful across all of the chapters.
“Our operation is built on what we call the Circle of Support, where a family in crisis is at the center, surrounded by dedicated volunteers flowing from the church community. This model allows us to respond immediately when a parent, such as a mom new to the area who needs care for her other children while she gives birth, has no network. We also partner with Child and Family Services, who often call us because a parent is facing a crisis and simply needs a friend to help support them,” she said.
“This vital help is delivered through specialized volunteer roles: host families who offer temporary care for the children; family friends who provide relational support [as well as] offering someone to talk to, and helping drive family members to appointments, or helping with errands like laundry; family coaches who assist parents in setting goals and connecting with community resources; and resource friends who offer practical assistance, such as delivering meals (made by a partner church) or helping with things like small home repairs. Ultimately, the goal is to stabilize families through relational ministry, ensuring they are never alone so their children can remain safe and families can stay together,” continued Schmidt.
Nevertheless, before leading Safe Families, Brantford, Schmidt had already learned about the organization.
“Around 11 years ago, I was at home caring for my children. And then someone had given me a pamphlet about Safe Families…telling me it’s something I should consider looking into. And it wasn’t in Brantford at the time, [but] right away thought, this is a way for the church to reach out, care and help families…I connected with Jennifer, who was just starting it up, and was trying to get a chapter going in Brantford, but at that same time, we just made a decision to change the schooling that we were doing for our children, and they were going to be sent to a private Christian school,” she said. “I needed to earn an income so I couldn’t give myself voluntarily to start this up. I passed all the information to some other people and asked them to follow up with it, and they eventually became a steering committee. And from there, they worked towards raising awareness and gathering funds so that a chapter could start in Brantford. Once they were ready to hire, I was asked to apply for the position, and I did, and in January 2026, it will be four years since I’ve been working as a director.”
Over the years, Schmidt has met and worked with many families through the organization; while there have been many stories that have touched the director, there was one in particular that she highlighted, especially on how Safe Families truly helps.
“There is one family we have been working with for a couple of years. It is a single father of several children whose spouse left him, and there are significant health issues, as well as issues of anxiety with some of the children. He was struggling with parenting alone. It was a referral from Child and Family Services, and so we were able to help him. We had a couple of husband and wife teams that were family friends, so they would go in and help him with making calls to get his health card or to help with his taxes or all those things that you have to be on the phone with CRA for a long time and sit and do that with him. We had a resource friend who delivers meals to them [and] we were able to find a camp for kids to go to a couple of times in the summer. This resource friend drove the kids to the camp,” recalled Schmidt. “They didn’t have anyone before we started to help. He told us that he feels he can keep his head above water. And that was just really encouraging. This was a person who had no one, and now he has a family and friends. We actually set him up with another volunteer who is a financial person, and he was helping him with budgeting, and when he lost his housing, we were also there helping him. He’s in a temporary spot right now, but we’re still providing those meals for him and have family friends who help care for his children when he has appointments to attend. To me, that’s just been a beautiful story of connection [and the] power relationship and just. So that he felt that he wasn’t alone.
Nevertheless, Safe Families has continued to help many other families in the community.
“We have 18 families that we’re working with, but so far this year, we’ve supported 39 families. I have had three new intakes recently, so that number is going to change. We have a family that’s in a motel right now…and they’re facing a lot of significant issues, but we’ve just been able to support them, helping with caring for the kids. Helping them get to appointments and providing meals for their kids…they’re really thankful, and they know their kids are in good hands,” she said.
The organization has also provided trauma training to its volunteers and anyone who needs it.
“As the Director, a key part of my role is overseeing and supporting our volunteers; so, every year for Volunteer Appreciation Month, my coworker and I visit each volunteer and ask, ‘How can we support you? Or ‘Is there an area you’d like to learn more about?’ This past year, many requested training on trauma. This training is vital for our host families, who care for children who have experienced trauma, and for our general volunteers, who support parents and children impacted by it,” she explained. “We successfully found experts willing to present a talk on trauma and equipped our volunteers with [the required tools.] But we didn’t stop there…we opened the training up to our wider community partners, including City Missions and the Hope Center, to maximize its benefit.”
However, the non-profit has received funding through the generosity of individuals, businesses, and churches, but also through various fundraising initiatives.
“To raise both awareness and funds, I frequently speak at churches, sharing updates with congregations and strengthening partnerships, especially with those who provide consistent financial support. Our diverse fundraising events include a silent auction, a ‘Hope Run/Walk,’ and an indoor golf tournament at one of the 24/7 virtual golf places, which we plan to do again this year,” Schmidt said. “We are particularly excited about an upcoming October initiative: a Business Matching Campaign, where local businessmen will raise an initial sum and then challenge other businesses to match that amount. While fundraising [is very tough], I know it’s essential for both supporting our ministry and raising awareness about the critical needs within our community.”
Recently, Schmidt and many other directors were part of Safe Families’ national conference, which served as an opportunity to define and standardize its policies and mission.
“Since Safe Families started in Canada in 2012, we’ve experienced tremendous growth. We were even ranked among the top 50 fastest-growing charities in the country a few years ago. This explosive expansion necessitates a strong internal structure [and] therefore, the conference brought together all Chapter Directors, the Board, and National Office staff to collaboratively review and refine our policies and procedures,” she said. “Our goal moving forward is to continue to strengthen and shore up our existing chapters while exploring further growth. We know the need is immense; the National Office continually receives requests from communities like Haldimand Norfolk to start a chapter…the conference was key to ensuring we are well-equipped to manage this growth and continue delivering our ministry effectively.”
However, Safe Families, according to Schmidt, has continued to play an important role in the community.
“I want people to know they don’t have to be alone when facing a crisis. That isolated feeling is awful, and I can personally attest to how important it is to get support. A year after I started at [Safe Families], my husband was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and he passed away eight months later. But I had the community there for me, my extended family [and] my church, and I can’t imagine enduring that without them. We see families every day who are going through the hardest times without any support system…. we want people to know that we are here to wrap around them [and] to help them,” she said. “Child and Family Services continually tells us that we fill a critical gap in the community, [and] we exist to be that support, offering relational community and practical help. By providing this gift of extended family life, we help keep children and families connected and together.”
