NLIS 23
March 21, 2005
(Health and Community Services)
(Justice)
 

Budget 2005 enhances services for children

The Williams government remains committed to protecting the future leaders of our province by improving the quality of services and strengthening program support for children in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Investments totaling approximately $6.5 million to improve services to better meet the needs of the children in our province were announced today by John Ottenheimer, Minister of Health and Community Services, and Justice Minister and Attorney General Tom Marshall. These include the introduction of a victim services program to support children under the age of 16 who testify in criminal proceedings, improvements for the early learning and childcare system, and additional social workers for Labrador.

Strengthening the Role of Child Victims
The Department of Justice will create Victim Services to Children, a program which will strengthen justice services for child victims and witnesses under the age of 16. The introduction of a program for children will fill gaps which currently exist within the system by providing court preparation services to help children who testify in criminal proceedings. The new program will provide information services regarding the criminal justice system, pre-court preparation, and counseling.

"The establishment of Victim Services to Children is a positive, proactive approach in assisting victims and witnesses of crime under the age of 16, and will be an important tool to improve support and information available to victims," said Minister Marshall. "Government is responding to the needs of children who require assistance in criminal proceedings. We are pleased to introduce this long overdue initiative which will strengthen the role of victims in the criminal justice system. The court system can be intimidating and difficult for young children, and the establishment of a program for children will help ensure that child victims have a support system in place."

Budget 2005 will provide $255,200 to support start-up costs associated with the program. The program is expected to cost $400,000 annually and will be self-sustaining with the implementation of a 15 per cent Provincial Victim Fine Surcharge. The surcharge will fund the program in its entirety, and will include various provincial statute offences, excluding parking offences and offences pertaining to municipal acts.

Improving Accessible and Affordable Child Care Services
Budget 2005 commits $6 million of an $11 million federal trust to continue building and improving the regulated early learning and child care system. The balance of the trust will be drawn down as required in future years. New investment will support more affordability and accessibility, with a priority on increasing the number of available regulated child care spaces throughout the province, particularly in under serviced areas. Government will also advance its plan to improve quality in regulated early learning and child care settings.

This builds on government's recent announcement of an additional $16.8 million of federal funding over five years to increase the number of low-income families accessing the Child Care Services Subsidy Program, enhance the quality of child care, make child care more accessible to families with the greatest need and improve child care services for children with special needs and their families.

"The future of any province and any family is its children. Making child care more affordable, particularly for low income families, will ensure no child gets left behind and all children have an equal opportunity for the brightest possible future," said Minister Ottenheimer.

To advance these aims, government will consult with community organizations and key individuals who have an interest in early learning and child care. Increased opportunities for accessible, affordable and quality early learning and child care will directly support children and families by improving children's capacity for life long learning and improving parent's opportunities to access work and study.

Protecting Children
A more responsive child protection system has resulted in significant increases in the number of reported cases in which children need protection. Having discovered the depth and gravity of the need for child protection, government recently announced that Budget 2005 will provide an additional $250,000 to permanently hire three additional social workers in Natuashish and other aboriginal communities. This builds on the $500,000 commitment made in Budget 2004 for an additional five social work positions for Nain, Hopedale, Makkovik, Sheshatshui and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Media contact:
Carolyn Chaplin, Health and Community Services, (709) 729-1377, 682-5093
Heather MacLean, Justice, (709) 729-6985, 690-2498

BACKGROUNDER
Victim services program for children

  • Victim Services was established in 1991 to provide services to victims 16 years and older who must testify in criminal proceedings.

  • Programs are delivered through 10 regional offices throughout Newfoundland and Labrador including St. John�s, Carbonear, Clarenville, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor, Corner Brook, Stephenville, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Nain and Port Saunders.

  • Victim Services is a critical component of the Newfoundland and Labrador judicial system, providing court services to persons who have been victims of criminal offences.

  • Due to a limited mandate, children under the age of 16 have been assisted with victim impact statements only. The creation of a Victim Services program for children will introduce court support services, and information to victims and witnesses of crime under the age of 16 who testify in criminal proceedings.

  • Currently, there is not an agency in the province with a mandate to provide court services to victims/witnesses under the age of 16.

  • Newfoundland and Labrador had been the only province that did not provide assistance to child victims and witnesses.

  • Implementation of a Provincial Victim Fine Surcharge (15 per cent) will fund the new program. The surcharge will apply to Provincial Statute offences, and will exclude parking offences and offences pertaining to municipal acts.

  • A victim surcharge is a monetary penalty added to fines imposed on offenders, and collected by the provincial government with revenue to be used to provide programming, services and assistance to victims of crime. All jurisdictions in the country impose such a surcharge.

2005 03 21                       3:20 p.m.


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