Province increases investment in local after school programs for children and youth
NEWS Oct 19th, 2023
BRANTFORD —The Ontario government is investing $564,000.00 through Ontario’s After School Program to support various After Care Programs in and in Brantford, County of Brant and Cambridge.
This investment is part of the $1.1 million increase in funding that the province is providing to Ontario’s After School Program, bringing total funding support for the 2023-24 school year to $14.6 million.
This program is improving the health and well-being of children and youth, and encouraging their development of leadership skills through safe and supervised sport and recreation activities. Participants are also provided with a healthy snack and additional programming, such as academic support along with arts and cultural activities tailored to meet the needs of the local community.
“Our government is supporting opportunities for children and youth to be active and healthy,” said Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “This $1.1 million increase in funding will enable after school programs to continue to serve high-priority neighbourhoods and tailor their programming to align with the needs of the local community.”
“Ontario’s After School Program is critical to maintaining positive physical and mental well-being of children across the province,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “By expanding access to these programs, we are helping to instill confidence, leadership development and life skills in youth across Ontario.”
This significant investment will help to offset rising program delivery costs and inflation and provide additional funding support to the 110 organizations that administer safe and supervised activities to more than 13,000 children and youth across the province each year.
MPP Quotes:
“Ontario’s After School Program has been very effective in supporting working families and their childcare needs. A healthy child means happy parents, and this supervised, quality childcare, delivered by local service providers, will continue to be an integral part of the daily routine for families in our community”.
MPP Will Bouma, Brantford-Brant
“I am pleased that several neighbourood associations in Cambridge are receiving this much-deserved funding to provide after-school activities to children. Neighbourhood associations in my community play a vital role in the health and well-being of the residents they serve. They are committed to enriching the lives of people young and old, and this funding allows them to continue their good work.”
MPP Brian Riddell, Cambridge
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario’s After School Program was launched in 2009 and is currently delivered by 110 organizations across Ontario that support low-income and northern/rural communities, Francophone neighbourhoods and First Nations.
- Ontario’s After School Program supports supervised sport and recreational activities for more than 13,000 children and youth, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, in more than 80 communities across the province, including 11 First Nations communities.
- Families interested in Ontario’s After School Program can contact an ASP delivery partner for more information about eligibility requirements and services that are offered by their program.
- Organizations receiving the funding include: The City of Brantford – Public Health, Safety and Social Services, Boys and Girls Club of Brantford, County of Brant, Greenway-Chaplin Community Centre, Kinbridge Community Association, Alison Neighbourhood Community Centre, Fiddlesticks Community Centre, Hespeler Village Neighbourhood Association, Langs Farm Village Association and North Lambton Community Health Centre
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Ontario’s After School Program
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For more information, contact MPP Will Bouma at 519-759-0361 or will.bouma@pc.ola.org