NLIS 4
April 6, 2000
(Health and Community Services)

The following statement was issued today by Roger Grimes, Minister of Health and Community Services. It was also read in the House of Assembly:

Site selections for Community Youth Network

Since 1998, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, through the National Child Benefit (NCB), has been committed to the establishment of a Community Youth Network (CYN) in the province for youth who are living in, or at risk of, poverty. This network enhances opportunities available for youth to participate in social and economic development by focusing on subjects such as learning, employment and community building.

As honourable members are aware, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is investing $2.8 million annually of National Child Benefit funding in the Community Youth Network and youth services. Of this funding, approximately $1.8 million is dedicated to community-based projects to facilitate social and economic inclusion. This funding will be provided directly to community coalitions with the potential to enable and enhance youth's opportunities.

The remaining $964,000 of the dedicated $2.8 million has been provided annually to the Health and Community Services Regional Boards for residential and mental health services for youth. Funding to the Health and Community Service Regional Boards commenced in the 1998-1999 fiscal year.

Development of the CYN concept has required considerable up-front planning and consultation with youth and key stakeholders to identify the areas of the province most in need of these services, and to ensure these communities had the capacity to develop and manage projects on a long-term basis. A special thank you is extended to the development team of 24 youth and adult mentors who was recruited in the fall of 1998 to develop the framework and supports for the community projects throughout the province.

Today, I have the pleasure of announcing the locations which have been chosen as CYN sites. Eight projects will be funded, with a least one project in each of the Health and Community Services regions.

The selected sites are as follows:

1. In the Labrador region, one project, with a hub in Happy Valley-Goose Bay and satellites in Nain, Hopedale, Sheshatshiu, and Cartwright.

2. One project in the Grenfell region, with a hub in the Labrador Straits and satellites in Port Hope Simpson and Flower's Cove. The Labrador Straits area includes the communities from Red Bay to L'Anse-au-Clair.

3. In Western one project to serve the Port au Port Peninsula - Stephenville - Bay St. Georges area and the Southwest Coast, building on the successful Community Education Network already active in that region.

4. In Central, two projects: 1) a hub in Botwood, and satellite in Springdale, with outreach to be determined through community consultation; and 2) a project in Harbour Breton with outreach to be determined through community consultation.

5. In Eastern two projects, 1) a hub in Harbour Grace serving the Trinity Conception area and a satellite in Placentia; and 2) a project in Grand Bank district with outreach to be determined through community consultation.

6. And finally one project in St. John's to serve the central and downtown St. John's area.

It is intended that these sites will be funded to initiate ground work on potential partnerships and ways of providing programs and services based on strategies identified by youth. All projects will be youth-driven and draw upon the on-going work of the CYN Development Team.

2000 04 06                                                                     1:55 p.m.