$128,000 for Victim Services of Nipissing District
February 22, 2024Ontario Supporting Victims of Gun and Gang Violence in Nipissing
NIPISSING – MPP Vic Fedeli is pleased to announce that the Ontario government is investing over $1.4 million in communities across the province to help support young victims, witnesses and survivors of gun and gang violence, including human trafficking, and their families. The funding, through the Grant to Support Child Victims of Gun and Gang Violence, includes $128,000 for Victim Services of Nipissing District.
“Community organizations do a great deal of work helping young victims of crime when and where they need it most,” said MPP Vic Fedeli. “This investment is part of the government’s ongoing work to support victims of crime, and increase awareness of human trafficking, gun and gang violence.”
“On behalf of the Child and Youth Advocacy Centre we are pleased with the recent grant from the Ministry of the Attorney General in assisting us in supporting child and youth victims of human trafficking, gun and gang violence. The province recognizing the important role CYAC’s play in our communities in supporting the most vulnerable of victims is imperative to the success of programs like ours helping children and their families heal after a traumatic event,” said Kathleen Jodouin, Executive Director, Victim Services of Nipissing District.
The grants provide organizations with up to $150,000 for initiatives that:
- Expand supports including counselling and safety planning services for child victims of gun and gang violence and those impacted by human trafficking.
- Create culturally sensitive, relevant and accessible resources to help young victims and their families more easily navigate the justice system.
- Deliver specialized training to staff who support child victims of gun and gang violence.
- Support community coordination and partnerships with stakeholders.
QUICK FACTS
- This new program is funded as part of a $121 million investment by the federal government to help prevent gun and gang violence in Ontario, and builds on the province’s Guns, Gangs and Violence Reduction Strategy and the Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy.
- Family violence against children and youth increased 38 per cent from 2014 to 2022, according to a Statistics Canada report on trends in police-reported family violence and intimate partner violence.
- Ontario’s Child Victim Witness Program helps lessen the trauma suffered by children and youth when testifying in court.