The Family Violence Initiative

Reducing Family Violence - A Comprehensive Federal Approach

The Family Violence Initiative (FVI) is a long-term commitment of the Government of Canada to address violence within relationships of kinship, intimacy, dependency or trust.

The Public Health Agency of Canada leads and coordinates the FVI on behalf of 15 partner departments, agencies and Crown corporations. With the long-term goal of reducing the occurrence of family violence in Canada, the Government of Canada provides the Initiative with permanent annual funding. This allocation supports and complements activities across eight member departments: Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Department of Justice Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Statistics Canada, and Status of Women Canada.

Additionally, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Health Canada, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Correctional Service of Canada, Public Safety Canada, Service Canada and the Department of National Defence address family violence issues through existing departmental programs and activities.

The FVI promotes public awareness of the risk and protective factors associated with family violence; works with government, research and community partners to strengthen the capacity of criminal justice, housing and health systems to respond; and supports data collection, research and evaluation efforts to identify innovative/promising practices and a range of effective interventions.

This Initiative represents a significant federal effort to reduce family violence. The issue of family violence has been integrated into ongoing programming in many government departments. We have learned that the best way to address family violence is to support a common vision and advance a coordinated approach.

Under the Family Violence Initiative, the Public Health Agency of Canada also manages the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence, Canada's resource centre for information on violence within the family. Multiple points of contact and accessible materials ensure that FVI knowledge development and exchange activities are available to a broad range of audiences. For updates on new products and resources, government initiatives, funding opportunities, research and events, subscribe to the quarterly NCFV E-bulletin.

Family Violence Initiative Performance Report for April 2004 to March 2008 (PDF document - 832 KB - 45 pages)

The Family Violence Initiative: Performance Report 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 (PDF document - 766 KB - 48 pages)

Departmental Activities

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation administers the Shelter Enhancement Program to provide capital funding for the repair, rehabilitation and improvement of existing shelters for persons who experience family violence, and for the acquisition or construction of new emergency shelters and second-stage housing.

• Citizenship and Immigration Canada promotes awareness of family violence issues through citizenship and immigration policies and programs, and prevention activities for non-English/French speaking Canadians.

• Correctional Service of Canada addresses offender family violence issues through research, treatment programs and staff training. 

• Department of Canadian Heritage supports prevention projects for Aboriginal women off-reserve and conducts research and evaluation activities.
• Department of Justice Canada reviews, researches and reforms criminal legislation and policy; funds community-based family violence projects; and provides public legal education and information support on family violence issues.
• Department of National Defence promotes awareness of family violence issues, supports programming aimed at the stressors often associated with family violence and provides support, counselling and referral services for members and families who are victims of family violence.
• Health Canada addresses family violence through its support for the delivery of public health and health promotion services in on-reserve and in Inuit communities and through its work in promoting equitable health outcomes for women and men, boys and girls in Canada.
• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada collects and disseminates data and research findings on abused and/or vulnerable children, assists victims of abuse in changing identities, and supports the development of transition homes.
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada ,through the Family Violence Prevention Program supports culturally appropriate prevention and protection services for First Nations children and families resident on reserve, in accordance with the legislation and standards of the province or territory of residence.
• The Public Health Agency of Canada carries out research on the population health consequences of family violence, develops resources and promotes policies, programs and projects that contribute to family violence prevention. Serving as the FVI secretariat, the Agency oversees the collection of information to support reporting; facilitates horizontal activities in partnerships among FVI departments and with other federal initiatives, provinces, territories and non-governmental organizations; and maintains records of decisions and accomplishments. On behalf of the Initiative, the Agency also manages the National Clearinghouse on Family Violence.
• Public Safety Canada is responsible for protecting Canadians and helping to maintain a peaceful and safe society. It addresses the issue of family violence through supporting evidence-based interventions designed to reduce offending among those who are likely to engage in family violence; and providing Aboriginal community policing services.
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police supports community-based workshops on victims’ issues, sexual assault, and relationship violence, and assists communities in using problem-solving approaches to family violence and delivers training to its members.
• Service Canada works with provincial and territorial partners to increase personal safety for Canadians, who are victims of intimate or familial violence at risk of serious injury or death through the Confidential Service for Victims of Abuse (CSVA). This Service provides assistance in the establishment of a new identity and relocation when all other safety measures have been exhausted.
• Statistics Canada works to improve the availability of national level data on the nature and extent of family violence.
• Status of Women Canada promotes the full participation of women in the economic, social and democratic life of Canada. SWC works to advance equality for women and to remove the barriers to women's participation in society, putting particular emphasis on increasing women's economic security and eliminating violence against women.