Specialized Supports: Military and Veteran Families

CFMWS recognizes that families play a central role in navigating transition, illness, injury and loss. That’s why our support of military families is focused on those in our military and Veteran family community who are the most vulnerable and adversely impacted by the conditions of military life. It’s for this reason many of our services are centred on and include spouses, partners, children, parents and persons of significance to the member and Veteran.

Family Information Line

The Family Information Line (FIL) is a 24/7 service staffed by professional and compassionate counsellors who offer support to CAF members, Veterans and their families. 

Find out more about the support and services FIL provides

Get support from a Family Transition Advisor

If your CAF family member is preparing to release, a Family Transition Advisor can help your family understand what to expect and connect with the right supports.  

They can help with:

• Understanding how release may affect your family; assessing your strengths and needs to ensure the whole family unit is supported during the transition process
• Identifying needs related to health, finances, housing, employment, and family well-being.   Developing and maintaining a tailored network of community resources, mapping local supports and ensuring families can access the right services at the right time
• Developing a personalized family transition plan to respond to a family’s specific needs and goals, and aligning available supports with the family’s unique circumstances
• Connecting with Military Family Resource Centres, Transition Centres, and community services 
• Referring you to specialized supports, including the Veteran Family Program and Family Liaison Officers 
• Collaborating with Transition Centres and other partners, including CAF, VAC and community organizations, to offer coordinated and comprehensive transition services

FTAs provide short-term transition support and help connect families to ongoing services as needed, up to the date that your member is releasing; however will follow up with the families at 60, 90 days and 18 months.

You can connect with a Family Transition Advisor by:

• Contacting your local Transition Centre:  Find your nearest Transition Centre
• Emailing:  MFSEnhancedTransitions@cfmws.com

Military Family Resource Centres

Military Family Resource Centres (MFRCs) provide support to military and Veteran families. MFRCs are located in each of the 32 bases across Canada. Dedicated frontline service providers offer services and resources at the community level and throughout the country.

Find out more by connecting with your local MFRC

Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group

The Canadian Armed Forces Transition Group (CAFTG) provides personalized and standardized casualty support, education and services to members and their families to assist in transition. The group gives special attention to ill and injured members, their families and the families of the deceased. 

In addition to the CAF TG headquarters in Ottawa, there are nine regional Transition Units and 26 Transition Centres across the country to serve members and their families. Members of CAF, the Department of National Defence (DND), Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) and other partners provide personalized, professional and standardized transition services to all CAF members, Veterans and their families to inform, prepare and empower them as they navigate towards life after service.