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Family and Resident Councils
What is a Family and/or Resident Council?
A Family and /or Resident Council is a group of persons who either live in a residential care facility or are the contact person, representative or relatives of care facility residents, and who meet regularly for a common purpose related to the care facility. A resident /family Council is also self-led, self-determining and democratic. Councils exist to engage the resident community in collaborative activities which will advance the quality of life for residents.
A Staff Liaison from the residential care facility may be appointed to support and facilitate the Council.
One of the key roles that a family or resident council can play is to promote improved communication and collaboration between family members and facility staff, and management. This may involve working collaboratively on projects that enrich the lives of persons in care, making recommendations to decision makers, communicating common concerns and ideas for improvements.
This website will:
- Orient you to what a council might look like
- Provide some tips on starting and maintaining a council
- Outline how the Residential Care Regulation supports councils
- Facilitate understanding of residential care services and standards
Do you have any questions about family councils? Contact us at hlth.ccf@gov.bc.ca
For more information on residential care, or to search for care facilities by community, visit the Community Care Licensing Branch website.

