Welcome to
BRIDGING BARRIERS
Family Navigation
Helping families caring for children with adaptive needs find their next step through navigation, community, connection and professional support.
Welcome to
BRIDGING BARRIERS
Family Navigation
Helping families caring for children with
adaptive needs find their next step through
navigation, community, connection
and professional support.
No family should have to struggle alone simply because they don't know where to start!
* EDMONTON, ALBERTA & BEYOND
Lived Experience + Practical Family Navigation
Alberta based & Alberta specific
Free Community, Always
You Are carrying
a lot.
We're here to help you carry some of it.
When your child or your family need more support, the hardest part isn't finding information...
IT'S KNOWING WHAT TO DO WITH IT!
What do I ask for?
Who do I call?
What happens next?
Does my child qualify?
What should I be asking the school?
What supports are actually available?
Do we need an assessment?
Where do I even start?
Bridging Barriers helps families make sense of what comes next.
WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?
Find your starting point.
Just received a
diagnosis
You're trying to understand
what this means
and what to do next.
You need a map...
not another brochure.
I'VE BEEN NAVIGATING
THIS FOR YEARS
You've already learned a lot.
You're tired of explaining
the entire story
every time you meet
someone new
and want someone
to think alongside you.
I NEED
CONNECTION
Sometimes you don't need another appointment.
You need people who understand.
Bridging Barriers Community is a private, family-focused community where your questions have a home and you can connect with
people who understand.
LOOKING FOR RESPITE CARE OR LOOKING TO PROVIDE RESPITE CARE
Bridging Barriers Connect
brings families, respite care
providers and other support providers
into one place so they can create profiles,
discover one another and decide
whether they want to connect.
I'M A PROFESSIONAL
SUPPORTING A FAMILY
You're a physician, therapist, teacher,
social worker or other professional
and you've met a family who may need
help navigating what comes next.
You can refer the family to us for
navigation support, information, resources, community connection, caregiver support or psychological services.
I'M WONDERING IF MY CHILD NEEDS
AN ASSESSMENT OR THERAPY
You may have questions about behaviour, learning, attention, development
or other concerns and want to understand whether psychological services may be appropriate.
Psychological assessment and therapy are provided independently by Chris Janzen, Registered Psychologist. If you're unsure whether your family needs clinical services, we can help you understand your options and where to start.
You don't have to know exactly what you need before you reach out.
Tell us where you are and we'll point you in the right direction.
You can start by filling out the Family Support Pathway Assessment Form below
START HERE - NO COST, NO CATCH
START WITH WHAT'S FREE
YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY TO GET STARTED.
GET YOUR FREE FIRST STEPS GUIDE PDF
For Families Navigating Adaptive Needs in Alberta
~ a practical starting point
YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS
A community built by people who've been there.
Bridging Barriers Community
A private, family-focused community where your questions have a home and you can connect with people who understand.
Community Forums
Podcast Feed
Inclus-Able YEG
Template Library
Family Care Connect
Deaf-Ability
Annie's Inclusive Craft Corner
Respite Certification
Bridging Barriers
Podcast
with your Host
Susan Janzen
Real conversations with parents, caregivers and professionals about navigating adaptive needs in real life.
Candice Janzen * Founder, Bridging Barriers
Why Bridging Barriers exists
This started in a
hospital room.
I didn’t start this as a business.
I started it as a mom.
After finding my 8-week-old daughter not breathing.
After months in the ICU.
After being told what she might NEVER do.
Then came the real challenge.
Learning how to navigate everything that followed.
Only when I figured out what questions to ask did I begin to get the answers I didn't even know I needed.
When talking to other families I realized that we're all having similar struggles.
so I became the guide I didn’t have.
If you’re in it right now… I see you.
"I didn't find a guide. So I became one."
Also: pick up the book that started it all ~
Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me?
by Candice Janzen
WHEN YOU'RE READY TO GO DEEPER
Personalized support, at whatever depth you need.
Some families need information.
Some need someone to sit down with them and help connect the dots.
Family navigation is personalized support for families who want help figuring out what comes next.
Transparent pricing. No hidden fees. No obligation to continue.
Family Navigation Support Consultation
$168
Single session ~ in person or virtual
Includes:
60-minute consultation
Written summary report
Actionable strategies & resource recommendations
Email follow-up support
No contracts - cancel anytime
Ongoing
Family Support
Package
$148/month
(Minimum 3 months)
Includes:
Monthly 60-minute consultation
Monthly 20-min follow-up call
Email support between sessions
Personalized resource toolkit
Discounted additional sessions
No contracts - cancel anytime
Bridging Barriers
Connect
Business Listing
Free
for families ~
Service provider listings from $25/mo
Families browse Respite providers
Caregivers browse family profiles
Browse community service providers & inclusive spots in YEG
Private messaging
No contracts - cancel anytime
Your VILLAGE, CURATED
Bridging Barriers Connect
FIND PEOPLE AND SERVICES THAT MAY FIT YOUR FAMILY.
Finding support shouldn't feel like guesswork.
Bridging Barriers Connect brings families, respite care providers and other support providers into one place so they can create profiles, discover one another and decide whether they want to connect.
For FAMILIES Looking for RESPITE CARE
&
Respite CAREGIVERS Looking to
Work With Families :
For LOCAL BUSINESSES wanting to list and showcase their services or products to families that need them most :
WHAT FAMILIES ARE SAYING
They found their way.
You can too.
"The hour that we spent with Candice was more informative and productive than any of the other specialists we have connected with thus far. We both felt so seen and heard and she left us with not only tools we can use going forward but hope for the future."
- Ben F.
"Candice was great and so easy to talk to. She really GOT IT and I feel more prepared for next steps with all the info and resources I was given."
- Morgan L.
"Candice really changed how I see my role as a parent. I went in feeling like I was failing the system, and left feeling like the system had been failing me...and now I know how to push back."
- Pat M.
"I've always had interventions and supports for my daughter but I've never really had anyone support me individually or us as a family. After meeting with Candice I felt heard and understood… Janzen Family Care was a service I didn't know I needed until I got it."
- Sharron W.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND BRIDGING BARRIERS
LIVED EXPERIENCE. PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE.
REAL-WORLD SUPPORT.
Candice Janzen
Founder & Family Advocate
Candice founded Bridging Barriers after years of navigating Alberta's systems as a parent.
Her work focuses on family navigation, practical problem-solving, advocacy, resources and helping families figure out what comes next.
Chris Janzen
Registered Psychologist · M.Ed., R.Psych.
Chris provides independent psychological services, including assessment and therapy, based on each family's needs.
His clinical practice is separate from Bridging Barriers family navigation services. Families can access family navigation, psychological services, or both, depending on their needs. Where appropriate and with the family's consent, the two services can coordinate while maintaining their separate roles.
Susan Janzen
Founding Supporter & Community Engagement Lead · Podcast Host
Susan is the host of the Bridging Barriers Podcast and brings a background in special education, resilience coaching, community engagement and family connection to the Bridging Barriers community.
Ready to stop navigating alone?
Join Alberta families who've found their footing - with real support, a trusted community, and someone who already knows the terrain.
Bridging Barriers FAMILY NAVIGATION
Family navigation, community, connection and professional support for families caring for children with adaptive needs.
Operated through Janzen Consulting Group
No family should have to struggle alone simply because they don't know where to start.
FOR FAMILIES
FOR PROFESSIONALS
CONNECT
Bridging Barriers is a program of I Can Play 2 Foundation Nonprofit organization. | Charitable registration in progress. | Based in Edmonton, Alberta. Serving families across Alberta virtually.
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