$1.5 Million for the Arbour House
June 14, 2021NORTH BAY – MPP Vic Fedeli is pleased to announce that the government of Ontario is providing the Nipissing Parry Sound District Children’s Aid Society with $1.5 million to develop an eight-bed licensed children’s residence called The Arbour House.
“The Arbour House will have a positive impact in determining a different trajectory for Northern youth, while keeping them close to home,” said Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing. “We look forward to the rollout of this project, which is a prototype that could be replicated in other areas of the North, where similar resources currently do not exist.”
“This residence has been a long term vision for Nipissing & Parry Sound Children’s Aid Society as well as that of the 14 other CASs and Child Well-Being agencies. I thank our regional office and this government for their ongoing commitment to children, youth, and families,” said Gisèle Hébert, Executive Director at CAS Nipissing and Parry Sound. “I’d like to specifically thank MPP Vic Fedeli for his unwavering advocacy which resulted in this project become realized. His demonstrated effort, ensuring northern youth are served close to home, will undoubtedly result in better long term outcomes.”
“Community connection and support is vital for children and youth, providing stability in their lives. We need to look at all avenues for our children and youth to keep them as close to home as best possible,” said Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “This local initiative will develop short-term residential placement supports specifically designed to keep youth in their communities. I’m confident this local approach will better support the well-being of children and youth by providing the important continuity that comes with being able to remain in their home communities and close to their families.”
The Arbour House program is two pronged and will include the following:
- Provide quick access to short-term crisis stabilization residential supports for youth in the North, which will prevent youth from leaving the region to access services.
- Opportunity for communities placing youth in the program to develop capacity to return the youth to their home community in a timely manner, through collaborative planning across sectors to meet the youth’s needs locally.
The NPS Children’s Aid Society was invited to submit a program description for a licensed residential center to ensure that Northern youth in the child welfare system would not have to be uprooted from their community to receive care.
Arbour House was developed, located in the underutilized Near North Youth Centre, the former secure youth justice custody facility.
The Arbour House will be an 8-bed crisis and stabilization residence for youth (male and female-12-18yrs) and will be using a trauma-informed service model. Temporary placement length of stay is 60 days with a possible extension to 90 days, giving communities time to mobilize services for the return of the youth.
The day the youth arrives, the CAS will begin discharge planning, with a focus of supporting the youth in his/her community, which builds on the Arbour House’s motto: All Roads Lead Home. Clinical services with experts in trauma will form part of the program.
Additional Information
- For further information and future updates about the Arbour House: https://www.parnipcas.org/services-programs/arbour-house/