Youth hub receives provincial funding


By Jenn Watt

May 3 2018


Haliburton’s youth hub proposal has received provincial funding Marg Cox announced on Thursday.


The executive director of Point in Time Centre for Children Youth and Parents said Haliburton was one of only six hubs to receive money out of 39 applications from across Ontario.


A dollar figure hasn’t yet been released by the Ministry of Child and Youth Services but Cox said knowing funding is coming gives the initiative a head start.


“The ideas are endless. Some resources are here to make it happen. We can only look forward to moving forward together” she told a packed meeting room at Point in Time’s Haliburton office on May 3.


It is hoped that the youth hub will create a space for young people between the ages of 12 and 25 where they can be social in a safe space. The model brings together service organizations in the community as well which means supports for mental health employment housing life skills and primary health care can all potentially be brought under one roof.


Because the concept is in early stages Cox did not speculate on where the hub would be or the hours it would keep.


Young people at the meeting said having a space to go outside of the school would go a long way to address problems they’re dealing with. Supporting each other through grief making a space to be able to talk giving them something to do and a place to congregate were all recognized as needs by the teenagers at the meeting.


It was suggested this could help reduce drug use among young people and would give them somewhere to go after school.


The project has been co-ordinated by Point in Time and Haliburton Highlands Health Services along with several other community partners.


Cox said she anticipates there will be a need to fundraise additional dollars for the hub and will be releasing details about that effort when they become available.


See Tuesday's Haliburton Echo for more on this story.