Chatham-Kent, ON Chapter

chatham@safefamilies.ca

Safe Families Canada | Chatham-Kent is excited to serve our community. We can equip volunteers with the training and tools they will need to walk alongside families in crisis. Together we can provide caring, compassionate community to families experiencing challenging circumstances. While supporting parents to get back on their feet and caring for their children as they work towards their goals we can keep families together.

Chapter Director – Brian Kivell 

Family Placement Coordinator – BJ Kivell

Brian and BJ are a husband and wife team who have been in ministry together for 20 + years. They began their marriage as missionaries in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine where they implemented children’s programs in several orphanages, started a ministry for homeless children and facilitated international adoptions.

Upon their return to Canada in 2002, Brian spent many years working with at risk youth and their parents. The impact that support and mentorship can have in the lives of these young people is evident in the relationships he has continued to this day.

BJ is the Director of Client Care at Refuge, a local pregnancy resource centre. She is also a certified birth doula and is able to support women throughout pregnancy and during the postpartum period. She is passionate about helping families find joy in their parenting journey.

Together, they are the proud parents of 7 and their day to day lives are family centered both in their home and in their work. They have extensive experience working with children and families in crisis, both individually and as a team. Their experience has given them an understanding of the complexity of working with challenging family dynamics and the importance of enlisting a supportive community to overcome the unique barriers families may face in order to thrive.

We are currently looking for more volunteers to join our team and serve as family friends and host families.

Leadership Council Members