Government of Canada invests in program to keep at-risk youth in school and away from crime
The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honourable Bill Blair, announced an investment of up to $4.5 million over 5 years for the expansion of the YMCAs of Quebec’s Alternative Suspension program, a dropout prevention program that helps at-risk youth, aged 12-17, participate in personalized activities as an alternative to a traditional school suspension. This investment will expand the program by adding new sites across Canada including locations in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, and provide services to an additional 1600 youth.
The program provides workshops, one-on-one meetings with a youth worker, dedicated time for schoolwork, and referrals to community and school resources, to students who might traditionally be suspended from school. The goal of the program is to limit risk factors for delinquency by supporting students in a successful return to school, decrease repeated suspensions and improve educational and social outcomes. The YMCA Alternative Suspension program (now known as Back-on-track) has a proven track record of success, with 85 per cent of its participants exhibiting positive behavioral change at school following their participation in the program.
The initiative is the first time the Government of Canada has used a Social Impact Bond (SIB) funding approach in the area of community safety where investors provide upfront capital and the Government of Canada pays a return on investment once the desired social outcomes are achieved. If the outcomes are not achieved, investors receive neither a return nor repayment of principal.
The SIB was co-developed by Public Safety Canada, Impact Canada and MaRS Discovery District, which helped secure investment partners to support this innovative funding approach. Investors include the Toronto Foundation, Inspirit Foundation, Lawson Foundation, Robert Kerr Foundation and the Counselling Foundation of Canada. The YMCAs of Quebec has engaged a third-party evaluator to validate the outcomes of the program, to determine its effectiveness and inform its future application.
“We are proud to expand our front-line efforts working with youth through the YMCA Alternative Suspension program to reach more youth in more areas. Time and again, the program has proven that it has multiple positive repercussions on all aspects of the lives of its participants. Through an innovative youth-work model, Alternative Suspension supports youth in persevering through school, making healthy decisions, and, ultimately, in completing their diploma.” - Stéphane Vaillancourt, President and CEO of the YMCAs of Québec.