August 21, 2002

A successful Winnipeg program providing important leadership and employment skills for inner-city youth will receive $33,000 from Healthy Child Manitoba, Family Services and Housing Minister Tim Sale, chair of the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet, announced today.

The Leadership Employment and Training (LET) program at Rossbrook House will be enhanced as a result of the funding, he said.

"This support through Healthy Child Manitoba will provide inner-city youth with valuable opportunities to build a better life," said Sale. "The skills they develop will enhance their self-esteem, strengthen their confidence and encourage them to become contributing members of the community. By supporting young people through meaningful programs such as this, we are strengthening our families and our communities."

"We believe meaningful employment is one of the most important, single factors in empowering youth to make positive life choices," said Sister Bernadette O’Reilly, co-director of Rossbrook House. "We have celebrated over 25 years of life during which many of the hopes and dreams of youth have been realized."

In the past two years, 48 youth have benefited from the LET program, which offers them alternatives to gang involvement and other high-risk activities. Participants 15-24 years of age are involved in pre-employment, education and training activities and are often employed at Rossbrook House. These jobs include overseeing children’s play activities while being supervised by a senior staff person.

With the Healthy Child Manitoba funding, Rossbrook House will be able to offer more specific employment training activities and additional work experience opportunities through the LET program.

Rossbrook House is a grassroots community centre founded in 1976 by Sister Geraldine MacNamara and a group of inner-city youth who wanted a place to call their own where children and youth would be safe. Rossbrook House now provides over 5,000 Aboriginal children and youth this opportunity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as an alternative to the negative effects of life on the street. On a typical day, Rossbrook House welcomes over 100 children and youth.

Healthy adolescent development is one of Healthy Child Manitoba’s core commitments and complements ongoing efforts focused on the early years of a child’s development. This year, through Healthy Child Manitoba, the Manitoba government will provide $1.4 million to various community partners across the province to support adolescent development.

The Manitoba government is committed to a comprehensive approach to strengthening families, with additional funding for Healthy Child Manitoba programs of $4.6 million, a 30 per cent increase.

Other initiatives include:

• Funding has been increased by $2.35 million for child care centres and family child care homes to continue stabilization of the child care system.

• The STOP FAS program has been expanded to further support prevention of fetal alcohol syndrome and allow additional women to benefit from the program. Total spending by the Manitoba government is more than $1.6 million this year.
• An additional $1.4 million has been allocated to Parent-Child Centred Activities, to support community coalitions that provide parenting support and children’s nutrition and literacy programming.

Since April 2000, the Manitoba government has increased investments in early childhood development programs and services by over $40 million. Of this amount, the Government of Canada transferred $11.1 million in 2001-02 to the Manitoba government and will contribute $14.8 million in 2002-03. This funding contributes to Manitoba’s support for children and families.

Healthy Child Manitoba brings a community development approach to the well-being of children, families and communities. This cross-departmental effort is led by the Healthy Child Committee of Cabinet, chaired by Sale and including the ministers of Aboriginal and northern affairs; culture, heritage and tourism; education, training and youth; health; justice; and the status of women.

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