Better Steps Foundation's Services

About Better Steps Foundation Services

At The Better Steps Foundation, our services are designed to address the critical and often overlooked issue of childhood trauma. In Canada, it's estimated that one in three children will experience some form of abuse before the age of 16. This alarming statistic underscores the urgent need for effective support and intervention. Our services include personalized counseling, educational workshops, support groups, advocacy, and participation in trauma research and training. We do this because we believe every child deserves the opportunity to heal and thrive. By providing these essential services, we aim to break the cycle of trauma, foster resilience, and promote long-term well-being. Your involvement can make a tangible difference in the lives of these children, offering them the support they need to overcome their past and build a brighter future. Join us in our mission to create a safer, healthier environment for all children

Better Steps Services for a Better Future

Caregiver Coaching & Family Stabilization Support

This service offers trauma-informed coaching for parents, guardians, and extended family members to help them understand how trauma impacts behavior and development. Sessions focus on strengthening attachment, positive discipline, household routines, and emotional co-regulation. We also offer practical support with housing, food access, and referrals to reduce stressors that may disrupt healing at home. The goal is to build safe, stable, and responsive family environments where children can thrive.

School-Based Outreach & Advocacy Program

We partner with local schools to bring trauma-informed practices into classrooms. This includes small-group interventions for students struggling with anxiety, grief, or behavioral challenges, and professional development for educators on how to respond with empathy and structure. We also advocate for accommodations (e.g., IEPs, suspension alternatives) to ensure children with trauma histories are not further marginalized by school discipline systems. This program brings healing into the daily lives of students where they need it most.

Creative Expression & Arts-Based Therapy

Through guided art, music, writing, and movement sessions, children are able to safely express emotions, process difficult experiences, and build self-awareness. Programs include visual art therapy, journaling workshops, drumming for regulation, and storytelling circles. These non-verbal outlets are particularly beneficial for children who have experienced abuse or neglect and find it difficult to talk about their feelings directly. Each session is facilitated by trained expressive arts practitioners with a trauma-informed lens

Peer Mentorship for Youth

This leadership-based program trains older youth (ages 14–18) with lived experience of trauma or adversity to become peer mentors for younger children. With professional guidance, mentors learn how to model empathy, encourage healthy choices, and build positive relationships. Younger participants benefit from consistent role models they can relate to, while teen mentors gain confidence, responsibility, and connection. This program promotes resilience and healing on both sides.

Trauma-Informed Community Education & Training

We offer customized workshops and presentations for community agencies, volunteers, churches, sports teams, and youth-serving organizations to raise awareness about childhood trauma and how to respond supportively. Topics include: understanding trauma responses, creating safe spaces, preventing secondary harm, and building trauma-aware systems. These sessions help expand our impact by equipping more adults to support children effectively in everyday environments.

Services to Empower Indigenous Children to Heal

Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing

        •       Safe Spaces: Provide immediate, low-barrier shelter for children and youth.
        •       Transitional Units: Offer longer-term housing with wraparound services.
        •       Family Reunification: Support reconnection with safe family members or kinship networks.

Trauma-Informed Mental Health Support

        •       On-Site Counseling: Access to Indigenous and Western-trained therapists.
        •       Peer Support: Trained youth mentors who have lived experience.
        •       Crisis Intervention: 24/7 response team for acute trauma and mental health issues.

Education and Skill Development

        •       On-Site Schooling or Tutoring: In partnership with local education authorities.
        •       Cultural Education: Language revitalization, crafts, drumming, singing, and dance.
        •       Life Skills Training: Cooking, budgeting, emotional regulation, etc.

Health and Nutrition

        •       Mobile Health Clinics: Regular visits from nurses and doctors, including mental health professionals.
        •       Nutrition Programs: Provide culturally appropriate meals and nutrition education.
        •       Substance Use Support: Harm-reduction and recovery services.

Advocacy and System Navigation

        •       Legal Support: Help with child welfare, ID, housing applications, etc.
        •       Education Advocates: Liaison with schools and education systems.
        •       Case Management: Each child has a case manager to guide their healing journey.