Guelph, ON – February 26 2021 – Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County has witnessed an increase in requests for financial assistance in recent months, particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on.
As COVID-19 continues to impact many in our community, vulnerable populations, like former youth from care, are often the hardest hit. Already vulnerable to financial uncertainty, homelessness, isolation, mental health issues, and more, the COVID-19 pandemic has served to increase the vulnerability of the youth to these and other challenges.
Family & Children’s Services recognizes that this past year has been an extremely difficult one for youth who have transitioned out of care. The organization has continued to provide assistance to youth through its Children First Fund, a donor-supported fund, to better support them through the many challenges that they are facing right now. However, the organization acknowledges that the need this year has been much greater than past years.
That’s why, in early February, Family & Children’s Services was thrilled to receive the exciting news that it would be receiving an additional $30,000 from Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada to help support the needs of former youth in care who are struggling financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s COVID-19 Support Fund for Former Youth in Care, provided to youth and family serving organizations across Canada, offers much needed support for this vulnerable group of youth.
“The funding provided by the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada through their COVID-19 Support Fund for Former Youth in Care will enable us to expand upon the supports we’re currently able to offer,” stated Sheila Markle, Executive Director of Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington. “This additional funding will mean that we can help even more youth in Guelph and Wellington County who are struggling, and require extra support to make it through a really challenging time.”
Family and Children’s Services recognises that many youth who have transitioned out of care do not have family connections, meaning they often don’t have family that they can fall back on in times like this. It is for this reason, that additional funding, like Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s COVID-19 Support Fund for Former Youth in Care, is so critical to the organization, and the youth that it serves.
The organization acknowledges that without this support, youth may lose their housing, see unpaid bills pile up and services cut off, or be unable to get the mental health support that they need. The Funding from the Foundation will allow Family and Children’s Services to dramatically increase the support that they can offer to former youth in care who are struggling right now.
Family & Children’s Services continues to accept donations to support the needs of youth who are transitioning/have transitioned out of care during this difficult time. If you would like to support this critical need, you can make a donation here: https://www.fcsgw.org/donate-today/