Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes MPP Steve Clark says the Ontario government is investing up to $46 million over the next five years to increase community-based and Indigenous-specific supports for child and youth victims of sex trafficking.
According to a media release, the Anti-Human Trafficking Community Supports Fund and Indigenous-led Initiatives Fund will prioritize early intervention and increased protection for victims of sexual exploitation and dedicated survivor supports.
Clark says human traffickers are preying on children and youth in communities large and small, right across Ontario every day.
“With our new Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy, we are focusing on increasing supports to help and protect these young victims. I encourage service providers in our region to apply.”
The release says funding will be available to partners and agencies and will focus on:
- Trauma-informed programming developed and delivered by survivor-led organizations.
- Dedicated services for victims under age 18, including residential placements and treatment, peer mentoring, as well as education and employment training programs.
- Culturally-appropriate, Indigenous-designed supports for First Nations, Inuit and Métis victims, families and communities.
- Targeted supports for sexually exploited boys, individuals with developmental disabilities, LGBTQ2S individuals and racialized and newcomer populations.
- Specialized programs for children and youth involved in or transitioning out of child welfare or the youth justice system.
Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues Jill Dunlop says over the last year, they have heard from frontline agencies, survivors and Indigenous communities and organizations about a critical need to increase available supports for children and youth affected by sex trafficking.
“Our goal is to build a more comprehensive network of anti-human trafficking services across Ontario, so more victims have access to the supports they need.”
According to the release, it was announced in March that the strategy will invest $307 million over the next five years on a comprehensive plan to raise awareness of human trafficking, protect victims, intervene early, support survivors and hold offenders accountable.
Applications for the Community Supports Fund and Indigenous-led Initiatives Fund will be accepted until 5 p.m. on July 30th, 2020. The application can be found here.