Press Release
MPP Dipika Damerla
Member of
Provincial Parliament for
Mississauga
East-Cooksville
Thursday, Oct 11, 2012
Providing More Supports for Young People in Mississauga
to Succeed
McGuinty Government Building Stronger Neighbourhoods
through Youth Action Plan
MPP
Dipika Damerla is pleased to announce that Ontario is adding the equivalent of 4.5
full time youth outreach workers positions to help guide young people in making choices that will help them lead
full and productive lives.
Through
Ontario’s Youth Action Plan,
the additional youth outreach workers will provide one-on-one support to youth
and help to connect them with the right support services in their communities.
Youth
outreach workers prevent and intervene in negative behaviour, promote civic
participation and develop social and leadership skills. To ensure that young
people receive the best possible supports and mentorship, all youth outreach
workers will be trained in a common set of skills.
Expanding
the Youth Outreach Worker program is part of the McGuinty government's province
wide Youth Action Plan,
which is getting guns and gangs off the streets, providing positive
alternatives for youth and ensuring safer communities and neighbourhoods for
all Ontarians.
QUOTES
”The
announcement of these new youth outreach workers is terrific news for Peel
region. At-risk youth need positive
guidance and mentorship to keep them on track.
I am looking forward to these youth workers coming on board here in
Mississauga.”
—
Dipika Damerla, MPP for Mississauga East-Cooksville
“Youth outreach workers share life
experiences with the young people they serve and are sensitive to the issues
they face so that they can provide our kids with the best possible
mentorship. We want our youth outreach workers to have maximum impact on
the lives of the young people they serve, so we will be targeting these new
outreach workers to better reach under-served communities.”
— Dr.
Eric Hoskins, Minister of Children and Youth Services
“As
youth outreach workers, we strive to be positive role models and empower youth
to draw on supports and opportunities that exist in their community. It is
rewarding to see how youth in under-served communities become engaged citizens.”
— Likwa Nkala, Lead for the East Quadrant
Youth Outreach Worker Team
QUICK
FACTS
- There are
currently 62 youth outreach workers providing outreach and referral
services to disadvantaged youth in seven communities, growing to 97 in
nine communities.
- The government
will begin accepting applications to fill the additional youth outreach
worker positions — with a focus on agencies operating in under-served
communities — in the coming weeks.
· The overall youth crime rate in Ontario
is 23 per cent lower than in 2000. The youth violent crime rate is also
down by 17 per cent over the same period, better than the national rate, which
dropped 10 per cent.
- Ontario’s Youth Action Plan
will benefit an additional 13,000 young people each year by moving forward
on 20 initiatives, including expanding the Youth Outreach Worker program.
· Ontario recently
expanded Parenting and Family Literacy Centres across the province.
The centres help children up to six years of age build essential literacy,
numeracy and social skills through stories, music and play.
- Ontario is investing over $20 million
in new funding to support the Youth Action Plan — efficiencies and savings
were found to fully offset the cost of expanded and new programs.
LEARN MORE
·
Read
about Ontario’s
Youth Action Plan
·
Former
Chief Justice Roy McMurtry and former MPP and Speaker of the House, Dr. Alvin
Curling, submitted the Review
of the Roots of Youth Violence report in 2008. The report has been
informing the work of the government ever since.
For Media Inquiries:
Gabe De Roche,
Minister's Office, 416-212-7458
Gloria Bacci-Puhl,
Ministry of Children and Youth Services , 416-325-5156
For Public
Inquiries:
Call
toll-free 1-866-821-7770
|
ontario.ca/children-news
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