Vision, Mission, Values

For over 100 years, Family Service Toronto (FST) has been helping people who are confronted with a variety of life challenges. We assist individuals and families through our counselling, community engagement and public education programs, and advocacy work

Our services are available to everyone who lives or works in Toronto.

Vision

We envision a city in which people are resilient and thriving in more just and supportive communities.

Mission

We work with individuals, families and communities destabilized by precarious mental health and/or socioeconomic circumstances, to achieve greater resilience, stability and equity.

We achieve this through our understanding of poverty and the harmful effects of marginalization, discrimination and oppression. We direct our energies to support individuals and families in our core service areas – community counselling and mental health, gender-based violence and developmental disabilities. At the same time, we work to influence policy, build knowledge, strengthen communities and advocate for system change.

Values

We are committed to:

• grounding our work in the lived expertise of people and the community
• working from a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach
• celebrating diversity, pursuing equity and practicing inclusion
• being accountable through measurement and outcome reporting
• striving for excellence in all that we do

Our definition of family:

Our name begins with “family” and we understand it to mean: Two or more people, whether living together or apart, related by blood, marriage, adoption or commitment to care for one another.

We know we are successful when:

• people live with dignity in thriving neighbourhoods and inclusive communities which are free of poverty and violence
• public policy is grounded in social and economic justice
• programs and services are accessible to those who face barriers
• people build on their skills to manage life challenges
• people are able to realize their potential

Read our   Strategic Plan 2021-2026: Open Hearts, Healthy Minds, Strong Communities

Equity and Inclusion Policy

FST is committed to a policy of equity and inclusion. We strive to ensure that there is no discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, language, race, age, ability, gender, sexual orientation, income, political or religious affiliation in all aspects of our operation and at all levels of the agency.
Read Equity and Inclusion Policy.