An Indigenous-led family reunification home in Winnipeg that’s helped dozens of parents work toward healing and recovery may be forced to close its doors, saying they are running out of federal funding and that their calls to the province for help are falling on deaf ears.

Geoffrey’s Garden on Maryland Street gives parents recovering from addiction a place to heal, reconnect with their children, and rebuild their lives through ceremony, counselling, and parenting support.

“When parents walk in here broken and you see that turn into strength and balance, it’s powerful. That’s why we do this,” said Strong Bear, a knowledge keeper.

Through traditional teachings, naming ceremonies, and cultural mentorship, families rediscover identity and belonging, a foundation staff say is key to long-term recovery. Over the past five years, staff say more than three-quarters of families who graduate stay sober and keep custody, saving millions in foster-care and court costs.

“We don’t need to be spending more money on foster care and training; the money should be put into healing these families, because if you have a healed parent, they can heal their own children,” said Cindy Huckerby, the executive director of Geoffrey’s Garden.

“These parents will end up back on the streets or in jail because they’re serving a sentence with us, the government will pay it’s just what pocket do you want it to come out of?”

That plea comes after federal funding for Jordan’s Principle ended last year, leaving Geoffrey’s Garden scrambling to pay staff and bills, which is why they asked the province for emergency funding; however, they say they were turned down.

“We’ve had to remortgage houses, taking out money from lines of credit, loans. We are financially maxed out, personally and within the organization,” said Huckerby.

Now, a small win, Jordan’s Principle has stepped up to provide the next three months of temporary funding to keep the program running, but beyond that, its future remains uncertain.

“For us to have to close the doors, and board it up, kick everybody out, it’s definitely one of the most heart-wrenching things I’d ever have to do in my life,” said Bear.

In a statement, Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine said their department shared provincial funding opportunities with Geoffrey’s Garden earlier this year and has met with them directly to provide further information.

Fontaine goes on to say she has written twice to the federal government this spring and again after that meeting to advocate on behalf of continued Jordan’s Principle funding.

She wants clarity on how Ottawa will fund all organizations supported through Jordan’s Principle. While the province doesn’t directly fund Geoffrey’s Garden’s program, they say they do invest in reunification supports across.