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Looking Ahead

Ontario remains dedicated to the wellbeing, positive development and success of our young people. Moving forward, the government will work collaboratively across ministries and with communities to support all young people to successfully transition into adulthood through programs and services that are responsive to their needs

Our sustained commitment to help build the capacity of Ontario’s youth services

• Ontario will continue its work to remove barriers and create opportunities for diverse and vulnerable youth, address gaps in services and strengthen the collective capacity to serve youth.
• Ontario will enhance the engagement of youth in government policy-making through initiatives such as the Premier’s Council on Youth Opportunities.
• Ontario will continue to promote openness and accountability through future reports on the collective progress to improve outcomes for all Ontario youth.

Implementing the Enhanced Youth Action Plan

This year, Ontario announced an enhanced Youth Action Plan, a three-year, $55-million investment to support more high-risk youth and additional high-needs communities across the province. Through the enhanced Youth Action Plan, investments will be made in programs and initiatives such as the following:

• Stop Now and Plan (SNAP), a program that teaches children with behavioural problems and their parents how to make better choices "in the moment"
• Youth Justice Family Workers, Gang Prevention/Intervention Programs and a new Restorative Justice and Conflict Mediation Program, which will help keep youth and communities safe
• Youth Outreach Worker Program, which helps at-risk youth connect with services and supports in their communities, and the Youth Opportunities Fund, which supports youth-led and youth-focused grassroots groups community agencies and is now available provincewide
• Youth engagement programs including the Newcomer Youth Settlement and Integration Services and the Aboriginal Community Recreation Activators program
• Mentorship and employment programs delivered in partnership with the private and non-profit sectors, such as a new Youth Mentorship Program, the Private Sector Jobs and Mentorship Initiative with CivicAction, an expansion of the Focus on Youth Program, and the Career Navigator Program with the United Way Toronto and York Region

More Supports for Youth

At the same time, support will continue for other new and promising initiatives that will have a positive impact on Ontario’s youth.

• The Aboriginal Children and Youth Strategy is being co-developed with Aboriginal partners to ground children and youth in their cultures and languages. The other goals of the strategy are for children and youth to be healthy, happy, resilient and thriving individual and members of their families, communities and nations
• One Vision One Voice: Changing the Child Welfare System for African Canadians. The ministry is providing the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies (OACAS) with funding to develop a practice framework to assist caregivers and Children’s Aid Societies (CAS) staff in providing culturally appropriate services to African Canadian/Black children, youth and families who interact with the child welfare system. The framework will provide CAS staff and caregivers with information on the following:
  • Anti-oppressive and anti-racist clinical practice guidelines;
  • Culturally appropriate clinical assessment
  • Standards of practice
  • Appropriate alternatives to apprehension
• Pilot projects financed through Social Impact Bonds, which are a form of pay-for-performance contract, will focus on improving social outcomes.
• Youth Job Connection is part of the renewed Youth Jobs Strategy. It will provide intensive support and training to young people with multiple barriers to employment