To make life better for Saskatchewan’s children, youth and families, the province is investing $13.7 million in 2013-14, the third year of the Saskatchewan Children and Youth Agenda budget. This will bring the total three-year investment to $53.7 million, ensuring that the most vulnerable citizens continue to get help with the complex issues they face.
“Our children are the future of this great province,” Social Services Minister June Draude said. “We need to do everything we can to ensure that they reach their full potential. Our economic strength is helping us achieve meaningful change and better outcomes for the most vulnerable members of our society through initiatives like the Children and Youth Agenda. This is why growth is important – so we can improve the quality of life for all Saskatchewan people.”
Funding is being provided for the four components of the Children and Youth Agenda: Child Welfare Transformation; First Nations and Métis Education and Employment; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Programs; and Building Partnerships to Reduce Crime.
Highlights of the 2013-14 funding include:
- For Child Welfare Transformation, funding consists of $7.0 million to increase supports for agencies that provide services for children in care and their families, and $800,000 for new intensive family support programs to assist families in crisis. Another $1.8 million in funding will be maintained for the Structured Decision Making tool to help front-line workers assess child risk and safety. As a result of fewer children coming into care, funding for Out-of-Home Residential and Extended Family Care can be reduced by $3.8 million to offset some of the additional investments, for an overall budget increase of $5.8 million.
- $6.6 million for First Nation and Métis Education and Employment, including $3.0 million for the Response to the Joint Task Force on First Nations and Métis Education and Employment; $1.5 million to add 300 more spaces for Adult Basic Education and help reduce the program waitlist; $1.5 million for Work Readiness Employment Development Initiatives; and $589,000 to create 15 new programs for vulnerable three and four year-old early learners.
- $600,000 to provide intensive FASD prevention programming to pregnant women at high-risk of have a child with FASD; and
- $700,000 for the Building Partnerships to Reduce Crime Strategy to help Community Mobilization Prince Albert (CMPA) build a safer and healthier community through the prevention and suppression of crime and violence, the reduction of victimization, and the treatment of conditions that give rise to both.
“These additional investments in the 2013-14 Budget will help further the goals of the Saskatchewan Children and Youth Agenda - to ensure that children get a good start in life, youth are prepared for their future, families are strong, and communities are supportive,” Draude said.
Some of the progress made to date on the Children and Youth Agenda includes the following:
- New partnership agreements have been signed with Lac La Ronge Indian Child and Family Services Agency and Athabasca Denesuline Child and Family Services to deliver off-reserve mandated services, including after-hours services for families residing off-reserve.
- New partnership agreements have been signed with Lac La Ronge First Nation and Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation to deliver prevention services off-reserve.
- Effective June 30, 2012, the new Structured Decision Making ® (SDM) Model was implemented across the province and in two First Nation Child and Family Services Agencies (Touchwood and Yorkton). These risk assessment tools will strengthen decision-making and case management practice for front-line workers.
- Thanks to funding to improve outcomes for First Nations and Métis apprentices, the number of First Nations and Métis journeyperson certifications doubled between 2007 and 2012.
- Increased funding for 1,500 child care spaces since 2011-12, bringing the total child care spaces to an estimated 13,740.
- With 71 new Prekindergarten programs added since 2011-12, including 15 new programs in 2013-14, the government will support 301 Prekindergarten programs serving approximately 4,816 three and four year-old children and their families.
- There have been substantial increases in direct client service hours for children and youth with Autism, ranging from 100 to 750 per cent across regions. Regional client caseloads have also increased by 10 to 67 per cent across regions. Nine hundred and thirty-nine (939) children and youth received Autism Spectrum Disorder services as of November 30, 2011.
- Significant expansion of the HUB model has occurred throughout Saskatchewan. Communities involved in tailoring their own crime reduction solutions under the Building Partnerships to Reduce Crime initiative now include Yorkton as well as the North Battleford, La Ronge, Nipawin, La Loche, Swift Current and Moose Jaw regions.
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For more information, contact:
Trish Alcorn
Social Services
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0916
Email: trish.alcorn@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-536-1479
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