YW Calgary has begun the process of informing clients that a long-running counselling program, funded by the Alberta government, will cease at the end of August.

In a post to Facebook Tuesday afternoon, the organization said that a loss in provincial government funding has forced the “difficult decision” to close its Children and Family Counselling program as of Aug. 29.

As a result, they will be pausing all new referrals and intakes for the program and supporting the families in transitioning out of the care.

Talia Bell, Chief Programs and People Officer with YW Calgary, said that resources are finite and funding does eventually come to an end. The contract for this funding was set to expire in August.

“The program was prevention of family violence, under that area, and it was specific for kids four to 17 who had been experiencing family violence, family breakdown, substance use, and mental health in the household,” Bell told LWC.

“The new funding application that’s out right now, that specific type of programming is not within this next tranche of funding.”

She said that they’re working with other provincial government ministries, the community and other partners to try to keep the program or to restart it, but without confirmed funding, the responsible decision was to inform clients it would end.

Bell said the program has helped thousands of families over the multi-year funding agreement, with more roughly 150 families assisted in 2024.

The funding agreement was worth over $500,000 annually, according to Bell. With the expected program closure, four jobs will be lost.

The nature of the business: Bell

Bell said they’re always working with the province and other organizations to discover solutions that better address social issues.

She believed that the course change is related to the province’s prevention-oriented lens, which YW Calgary does support.

“We run services that span prevention right through to intervention at its most crisis-related service. We know it’s important to have all pieces of that puzzle in our community in terms of service for families,” she said.

“This, I think, is just about looking at a different approach and lens, and we know that happens. It happens with funding all the time, not just with the government.”

Bell reiterated that no funding is ever certain forever.

“This is part of the nature of our business that we navigate,” she said.

“Of course, when we know programs are really important, we still do try to seek resources in other ways and in other different funders and settings and whatnot, to ensure that those services can still be available.”

To that end, YW Calgary is working with its client families to ensure a proper transition to similar resources around the city. Bell said, however, that waiting lists for these services can be long. In the meantime, they will be working to close open files with clients during that transition.

The Alberta NDP’s Shadow Minister for the Status of Women, Julia Hayter, said it was “unconscionable” for the UCP government to cut funding for the program, while it has a surplus.

“This means the UCP government has the money but is actively choosing to cut funding to groups like YW Calgary that provide a wide range of victim support,” she said in a prepared media release.

While funding has changed in some areas, the province has bolstered funding in other social service areas, according to an analysis of the 2025 budget by Vibrant Communities Calgary.