National Office

Get in touch with our National Team by:

Mailing Address: Safe Families Canada, 1730 Bur Oak Ave. Bldg G, PO Box 3029, Bur Oak Post Office, Markham, ON., L6E 0J1
Email: info@safefamilies.ca
Tel: 647-784-7161

Meet our National Executive Director!

Adele-Marie Diffey, BRE, MDiv

Originally from Toronto, Adele was exposed to the lives of kids in the foster care system and developed a heart for them and their families while working at Salvation Army summer camps years ago. She has worked in a number of ministry roles relating to children and youth both in Canada and abroad in Bolivia and South Africa.

After working in ministry, she became a full-time foster mom and raised 4 foster boys until adulthood in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. This experience revealed to her the need for better supports for struggling families, which encouraged her to make her home a place where families could remain a family, even from different households, like an extended family:

“Not all families need protection for their children, sometimes parents just need some extra love and support, and ultimately, they need Jesus”.

After her boys were grown, Adele became very involved with Safe Families Canada in the Kitchener-Waterloo & Cambridge Chapter on a number of fronts which led her to return to the GTA to work with the Toronto Chapter. She is very passionate about the work of restoring families and the Vision and Mission of Safe Families: “surrounding families in crisis with caring, compassionate community, keeping children safe and families intact”.

 

Meet our Director of Chapter Development!

Jason Peters

Prior to working with Safe Families Canada, Jason worked at Church of the Rock in Winnipeg as a youth pastor as well as a campus pastor for Church of the Rock’s North End Location. He has been involved with Safe Families Canada for 5 years, 1 year as a volunteer, where he and his wife hosted children overnight in their home as a Host Family and 4 years on staff as a Chapter Director for the Safe Families Canada, Winnipeg Chapter and as the Western Canada Director. He has a burden and passion to see “families in crisis surrounded with caring, compassionate community” as that is what his family received throughout his childhood, directly keeping his family safe and together.

Jason has been married to Hannah for 6 years, they have a 2 year old daughter and a 16 year old foster son.

 

Meet our National Director of Operations!

Kimberly Sabourin (Rev)

Kimberly Sabourin, a seasoned minister with over two decades of dedicated service in full-time ministry, assumed the role of National Director of Operations for Safe Families Canada in 2023. With an extensive background in education, having served as both a teacher and vice-principal, Kim’s journey has been marked by a steadfast commitment to nurturing the well-being of children and families.

Kim’s professional journey includes the founding of adoption practice in Ottawa over a decade ago, touching the lives of countless families by facilitating the creation of forever families for children in Ontario. Her passion and empathy extend to providing specialized birth parent counselling, as she serves birthparents, offering support, guidance, and care during their often challenging journeys.

As National Director of Operations for Safe Families Canada, Kim brings her wealth of leadership development, experience, unwavering dedication, and deep understanding of family dynamics. Safe Families Canada’s vision, which resonates profoundly with Kim’s life’s work, is to keep children safe while keeping families together. Kim served as Chapter Director in the nation’s capital for over four years, and they celebrated over 2000 hostings before she transitioned to the National Office team. Kim is honoured to be a part of this visionary movement of compassion, poised to create a world of nurturing, protective environments for children while fostering a sense of togetherness that strengthens families and our communities. With her leadership, along with the National Team, Safe Families Canada is well-positioned to continue its mission to be a beacon of hope, compassion, and support for families nationwide.

 

 

Meet our National Director of Partnerships!

Marlene Hawley

After years of living life on her own terms Marlene Hawley’s heart and mind were captivated by the generous love, truth and compassion of her Saviour Jesus Christ in 2012. Through a caring Christian community Marlene and her family were supported during a trial by way of generosity, hospitality and compassion. Thankfully the Good News of the Gospel demonstrated through the care of loving people and God’s word changed the trajectory of her and her family forever. Since becoming a Christ follower Marlene has been engaged with and praying for increased opportunities to encourage people in sharing the hope and transformation of being part of God’s family.  Life brings mountain tops and valleys and with those Marlene has found that following Jesus has brought unparalleled peace, joy and hope in believing, trusting, knowing God, and being known by Him. It is Marlene’s hope that all people who connect with Safe Families Canada will experience the loving and sacrificial hands and feet of Jesus and move them in ways they have never been moved before.  “Abide in Me and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. “ John 15:4