Enabling Innovation Thanks to Multi-Year Funding and Capacity Building

Supporting families well in the early years requires consistency, trust, and time. For Richmond Family Place, long-term stability has been critical to delivering support that meets families where they are – and that evolves as needs change.

Historically, Richmond Family Place (RFP) primarily connected with families after a child was born, through family drop-in programs, early learning supports, and parent education. With support from SVP Vancouver’s three-year Early Years Innovation Trial grant, awarded in 2023, the organization gained the stability needed to look upstream and address a key gap in the early years ecosystem: prenatal support.

In a recent discussion, Ruth Traverner, Executive Director at Richmond Family Place, shared, “Multi-year support gave us the stability and confidence to think differently about how we support families. It allowed us to bring the gaps that exist forward, and envision together where we could have the greatest long-term impact.”

With the grant from SVP Vancouver, Richmond Family Place was able to launch Prenatal Circles of Support, a non-medical prenatal program designed to create opportunities for parents-to-be to build connection, access resources, and find community before their child is born. Rather than adding a standalone service, the program builds on the organization’s existing support system, strengthening outcomes from the very start of a child’s life.

“By extending our support earlier, we’re able to build stronger relationships with families and create a more seamless experience as they move through different stages of early parenthood,” Ruth shared.

Sustained support also made it possible for Richmond Family Place to grow its core programs, including restarting previous programming that had been put on hold, such as their kindergarten readiness and family cooking programs that help engage newcomer and refugee families. 

In 2024–2025, Richmond Family Place served 8,880 children and 6,803 families, delivered 1,790 hours of programming, and welcomed 2,430 new families into its community. Programs are supported by practical, relationship-building elements such as shared meals, with 250 meals served to 2,421 participants, demonstrating how food can play a key role in keeping communities connected and fostering a sense of belonging. reinforcing the role of food as an enabler of connection and belonging. 

In addition, SVP’s investment enabled Richmond Family Place to sustain strong staff and build internal capacity and leadership. When their refugee program lost its government funding, an existing staff member successfully transitioned into the prenatal program, where demand was growing. With funding for her additional post-secondary education, she stepped into a new role as program facilitator, strengthening continuity for families and leadership from within.

Richmond Family Place’s story illustrates what becomes possible when organizations are supported over time. Stability made possible through long-term funding, creates the conditions for innovation, growth, and lasting impact for children and families across B.C. 

Learn more about our multi-year funding model and the organizations we support by connecting with Helen at [email protected].