Two long term stay Youth Residences that house approximately 45 homeless youth each year and provide 3600 days of 24-hour care to youth aged 16 – 19, in need of stable housing. Here youth voluntarily stay for up to one year in a structured setting where support is offered to return to school, gain full or part-time employment, learn vital life skills, and address the major issues contributing to their homelessness. We offer assistance and help to both the youth and their families so that we can make a difference in everyone’s lives and in turn, benefit society as a whole. Through the supportive intervention of Pathways, we are proud to report that in the past two years, four youth have gone from being homeless to pursuing post-secondary education at the college/university level.
Home Base Drop-In Centre has a long history of responding to an urgent community need – that in York Region, that seems so pleasantly middle class, there were homeless and high risk youth with no place to go for support. Home Base provides youth 13 – 24 from many cultural backgrounds, with a safe haven to meet their basic needs and access support services necessary for life off the street. Each year, the high demand for its services brings home the reality that the 905 region (York Region), north of
Our Family Services offer qualified, committed staff members who empower parents and caregivers with knowledge, skills and techniques to enhance each child’s development. Parents/caregivers value our non-judgmental environment where they can learn how to a) maximize their child’s social and educational opportunities, b) identify issues that may impede childhood development and c) obtain referrals to other community supports to help ensure a promising future for their children. Our programming hosted at our six sites include: Mother Goose, Triple P Positive Parenting Program, Family Time, First Time Moms, All Babies Count, Pathways Explorers, Learning with Joy, Wiggles and Giggles, The Wonder Years and Jump and Jiggle.
Youth Development Strategy – A Continuum of Care
The goal of this initiative is to offer a continuum of care and support throughout the transitional time period from homelessness to interdependent living for our youth. One of our objectives is to build a shelter and transitional housing unit in the heart of
Our full service initiative differs from others because we are the only service provider in the area, at present, offering aftercare services; we are unique in the fact that our youth stay with us on a voluntary basis; our Home Base Youth Housing Project, once completed, will offer the only full service Youth Development Strategy in the southern York Region area which will include transitional housing, shelter, a drop in centre, employment centre, aftercare services and recreational programming.
Our housing solution will provide a one-stop shop for youth to receive numerous levels and types of supports so that they can make positive changes in their lives, learn to make good choices and become a contributing member to their communinity.
Our new Aftercare and Transitional Support Program, a partnership with two other York Region social service agencies, is an innovative program that reaches out to guide and support youth in the care of York Region Children's Aid Society and who are on the long road to interdependence. Transitional and Aftercare supports for community youth is currently a service pressure that is not funded at any level.
Please see the attached PDF Diagram for a visual look at where we are today and where we will be by 2009 in regards to our Youth Development Strategy.
