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General FAQ


1. What is the purpose of Closer to Home Community Services?

Closer to Home unifies children and families in Calgary and surrounding areas. Closer to Home believes that all children deserve a family, and that, given the right support, all children will grow up to become contributing members of the community.


2. What does Closer to Home do?

Closer to Home Community Services offers a wide range of services to support families, children and youth. Each individual family and child is unique and these services are designed to meet their needs:

  • Life skills training
  • Access to community resources
  • Parenting courses
  • Child and family services programs such as foster care, group care and in-home family support


3. What are the goals of Closer to Home?

Our organizations goals are to support families so they stay together, reunite families where possible and, for those few children who come into care, provide a family-style environment until they are able to return to their families or be placed in a permanent home.


4. Is Closer to Home a non-profit organization?

Yes, Closer to Home Community Services is a non-profit agency, registered in 1996.


5. Where is Closer to Home located?
Closer to Home has an administration office at 3507A – 17 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta. We also operate three small group homes in southwest Calgary. A larger facility for families is located in the Rosedale area of Calgary and a group home in the City of Airdrie, just north of Calgary. Closer to Home also has foster homes in all parts of Calgary and surrounding areas. Our West Central Community Resource Centre is also located at 3507A – 17 Avenue SW, Calgary, Alberta.


6. How many programs does Closer to Home provide?
Closer to Home operates eight programs:

  1. About 70 foster homes
  2. Four group homes for children
  3. Pekewe, an aboriginal family reunification program
  4. West Central Resource Centre, a walk in program for families, youth and children in Calgary
  5. Youth programs
  6. Kiwehtata, a two week parenting program for new aboriginal parents
  7. Healthy Families, a low intensity family support program for aboriginal families with young children
  8. Family Matters, providing in-home family support in Airdrie and surrounding areas.


7. How many children and families does Closer to Home serve?

Closer to Home served more than 5,400 children, youth and families in 2010.


8. What is the annual operating budget for Closer to Home?

Our operating budget is about $5.2 million a year.


9. How is Closer to Home funded?

Closer to Home receives most of its operating budget from the Government of Alberta Childrens Ministry, the City of Calgary and private donations and grants.


10. Does Closer to Home solicit private donations?

Yes, Closer to Home depends on donations and grants to fund our capital costs, and to provide ongoing support for families and children.


11. How does Closer to Home measure its success?

Closer to Home collects objective outcome measures to ensure all of our programs are meeting the national outcome measures for providers of evidence-based, quality services for children and families.

A few of our measurable outcomes:

  • 89% of children, youth, parents and other community members said they were satisfied or completely satisfied with the services they received through Closer to Home programs
  • 87% of the children who participated in the family support program remained with their families for a year after completing the program.

For more information please see our CTH Annual Report 2010 (pdf 7.13 MB).


12. How much does Closer to Home charge for its services?

All of the services we offer are free; however, some of our programs can only be accessed via referral. Please contact Closer to Home for referrals at 403.543.0550. To learn about our community services, contact the West Central Resource Centre at 403.543.0550.


13. Does Closer to Home have partner organizations?

Yes, please see our Agency Partners page for details.