Staff Highlight: Karine Veldhoen
Caroline PinheiroWe’re excited to continue our Staff Highlight Campaign, where we celebrate the incredible individuals who contribute to the purpose and values of arc programs. This month, we are proud to feature Karine Veldhoen, Director of Services at the arc programs Central Okanagan Family Connection Centre. Karine’s leadership, vision, and heart have left a profound impact on our team, our work, and the families we serve.
BC Community Social Services Awards of Excellence – Hero Award
Earlier this year, we nominated Karine for the BC Community Social Services Awards of Excellence – Hero Award, a province-wide honour recognizing individuals whose leadership and innovation drive meaningful change in the community social services sector. While she was not selected this time, we believe the nomination itself speaks volumes, and we want to share a few of the reasons why we felt Karine’s work deserved this recognition.
From leading the Family Connection Centre through its foundational years to co-creating “Teachings for Decolonizing” and launching groundbreaking initiatives like the Every Child, Every Day Conference, Karine consistently goes above and beyond. Her ability to hold both vision and detail, to challenge and uplift, and to lead with compassion makes her an anchor for her team and a catalyst for change.
Here is a brief excerpt from her nomination:
“Karine has done the monumental work of shaping the FCC into a barrier-busting, family-focused hub for children with support needs. With relentless hope, grit, and grace, she has led a collaborative practice that changes lives. Whether she’s supporting staff accommodations for neurodiversity or convening multi-sector partnerships to better serve families, Karine does so with deep purpose and a generous spirit”.
From the Ground Up: A Vision for Innovation
One of the most powerful aspects of the Family Connection Centre is that it wasn’t built from fixing the system, it was imagined and created from the ground up to meet the real needs of children and families. This approach has allowed for innovation, adaptability, and genuine responsiveness, unburdened by outdated models or restrictive silos.
Karine has been instrumental in guiding this visionary work, ensuring that every step forward reflects the values of equity, collaboration, and hope. In the short video below, she shares reflections on what it means to build something new: something rooted in community, flexibility, and trust.
Hear from Karine and other leaders as they discuss how the FCC was designed to meet families where they are at, and why starting from scratch has made all the difference:
Questionnaire:
We’re incredibly grateful for Karine’s contributions and proud to have her leadership guiding the arc programs Central Okanagan Family Connection Centre. To get to know her better, we asked Karine a few questions about her work, her inspiration, and what keeps her grounded in this vital field.
To get to know Karine better, we asked her a few questions about her journey and vision at arc programs:
Name: Karine Veldhoen
Job Title: Family Connection Centre
Program: Youth Services
Length of time within the organization: 25 months!
What is one of the most rewarding aspects of your employment at arc?
I love the Family Connection Centre’s low barrier mentality to ‘early help’. We don’t come up to a barrier and say, ‘O well, it’s too hard’. We grab sledgehammers. The team is incredible!
How have you grown or developed personally or professionally during your time with arc?
Candice, and Shane too, have generously introduced me and included me in the network of arc programs over the past two years. Even though I’m still learning, they have given me opportunities to grow and advocate. I’m ever grateful.
How do you observe your role contributing to create thriving communities, free of systemic barriers and full of belonging, equity, and hope?
As the team works in community, my role is to create a space and place where they can do the best work of their lives. My aim is to effectively advocate for the FCC, design a system where every client and family improves their quality of life, and cultivate a compassionate culture of well-being for our team.
Can you share one of your biggest joys working in collaboration with other staff, community partners, or clients to achieve a goal?
There are so many success stories I get to hear. They are stories of families finding stability and community, children developing new skills, youth gaining confidence, and ultimately goal achievement. Often, we work in transdisciplinary teams or across the child-serving system of care. It’s amazing what strategic supports can do to unfold the extraordinary potential of children and youth with support needs!
How arc’s Metuaptmumk – ‘all-around seeing’ approach and commitment to decolonization contributed your perspective and approach towards transformative reconciliation?
I believe arc programs has deeply influenced my perspectives around truth and reconciliation. I continue to grow in humility and my commitment to equity for all. I know my understanding of language justice continues to expand. I’m grateful for Candice, Caroline, and the FCC Practice Leads for showing me the way in this regard. Additionally, I’m grateful for the principle of ‘generosity’ espoused by Dr Dustin Louie and shared in multiple contexts over the past two years. I want this value to permeate my practice for the remainder of my career.
What inspires you to continue working in the social services sector?
This incredible FCC team inspires me every day!
I’m inspired everyday by the children, youth, and families we serve. Despite facing incredible challenges, they continue to forge ahead, with hope for an improved quality of life. That’s worth getting to work for every day.
Outside of work, what are your passions or hobbies that contribute to your overall well-being?
I love evening walks with my love, joyful dinner tables, boisterous family games, and exploring the world through travel. Most of all, I like playing with ideas, a vibrant conversation, a thoughtful book, or a blank journal page; in any combination with a cup of strong, black coffee does my heart good.
Is there anyone you would you like to recognize or give a shoutout to for their support, mentorship, or teamwork? Why?
Serving the FCC Practice and Partner Leads, FCC team, and DS Behaviour Services is a joy!!! They make every day meaningful as they share their cases, speak candidly, offer expertise, engage in design thinking, and share the responsibility with me.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience with arc or your work here?
I am grateful for the opportunity to share in this work with you!
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