The province is investing $136,000 into expanding programming for aboriginal children and teens at the Thunder Bay Native Friendship Centre.
Ontario's Minister of Children and Youth Services was in Thunder Bay Monday to announce the province's investment of $6.2 million for aboriginal children and youth and a total of 29 Indian Friendship Centres will benefit from the new funding.
The money will be used locally to create a new program for youth aged 12 to 18 and to strengthen an existing program for ages seven to 12 years old. Executive director of the Thunder Bay Indian Friendship Centre, Anne Lesage says there's a demand for programs to serve teens and she hopes the new Wasa-Nabin program, which means ''to look forward, to look beyond'' in Ojibway, for the 12 to 18-year-olds will be in place within a couple of months.
The Minister, Deb Matthews says
LeSage said there is a high demand for services locally because many teens are from remote, northern communities and attend school in
''We have the youngest population certainly in
Along with the other services they offer, LeSage says this will allow the local centre to provide seamless programming for aboriginal kids until they're 29 years old.
''We will work with children, to build on their culture, their heritage, their self esteem. We will provide supports for their school, while they're in school if they're facing challenges. There will be a wide variety of programs and services,'' LeSage said.
The Minister said the province has been funding programming at the centres for children aged 7 to 12 for the past three years adding now they'll be helping more at-risk aboriginal kids to stay on the right track.
''It's been such a success, we're expanding that program and we're also starting a whole new program for kids aged 12 to 17. We know those are years where it's good to have a place where you can go, and you could just be yourself, and you can be with friends your own age, where you can learn, and be in a positive environment.'''
President of the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres Sheila McMahon says some aboriginal children and teens have unique challenges in school systems which was revealed when she completed a youth consultation with kids in this age group.
''They suggested that maybe we should bring back uniforms in the school and I asked them why would you want uniforms and they said because then we wouldn't be so different. So, that's the impact. We'll be able to provide that programming so they don't feel different,'' she said.