About
For over 23 years, Next Chapter Society has been supporting families experiencing grief related to divorce or separation in Alberta. From our head office in Edmonton, our small but passionate team of staff and volunteers has built a network of community agencies to provide the Rainbows™ programs to their members, developed and delivers The Next Chapter to parents and is working hard to challenge the status quo of what support for children and parents experiencing these changes in family structure looks like.
We envision a world where all people going through divorce or separation transform positively.
Deliver programs, engage community partners, and provide resources that help Albertans navigate successfully through divorce or separation.
Next Chapter Society is committed to providing emotional support and tools to families so that they may grow through the challenges of divorce and separation.
Our History
Next Chapter Society was founded as Foundation for Families in Transformation (FFIT) in 1998. Our founder, Brenda Johnson of Kids Kottage, recognized a major gap in supports for grieving families. She launched our organization and travelled all over Alberta setting up Rainbows™ programs for dozens of communities. Her work was some of the first steps to support children in Alberta experiencing grief and trauma related to death, divorce, separation or abandonment. In the past 23 years our team has trained thousands of Rainbows™ Facilitators across Alberta and supported thousands of children and families adjusting to life after divorce, separation and grief.
In 2011 Foundation for Families in Transformation was renamed to become Starfish Family Resources and in 2017 we refined our mission to focus on the specific needs of families experiencing divorce and separation. We were fortunate to move into the Jerry Forbes Centre for Community Spirit in 2018, the innovative co-operative of non-profits sharing a state of the art facility in Edmonton, where we continue to build new connections and partnerships within the non-profit community of Alberta. In 2019 we piloted The Next Chapter, our first program for parents after divorce or separation.
We continue to grow and evolve the ways we are working to fill the gaps in support for families who are restructuring after divorce or separation, most recently with the launch of our Community Resources section and our new brand, Next Chapter Society. We have ambitious goals to create many communities of support for all types of families adjusting to life after divorce or separation. We are committed to the unique needs of all families who are growing through the changes that divorce and separation brings.
Our Team
Next Chapter Society is skillfully led by a passionate group of volunteer Board of Directors and a small staff.
Shane Jennings
Angela Klassen
Victor Dorian
Warren Camp
Allycia Kwon
Katherine Such
Jennifer Bhardwaj
Lauren Rollett
Darlene Kowalchuk
Join Our Board of Directors
We are inviting caring individuals to serve on its volunteer Board of Directors, which represents Next Chapter Society and advocates for its mission and vision. Accepting applications now! Learn more.