A shame to delay male youth shelter
Re: City hall red tape hurting homeless shelter in Windsor, by Doug Schmidt, Oct. 1.
Having visited during the open house in August the impressive new Residence For Young Men proposed and finally developed for our community through the initiative, commitment and dedication of local lawyer Mr. Greg Goulin, it was very disconcerting to read that the lack of startup operational funding amounting to $53,000 is holding up the opening of this much-needed community resource for which staff have been tentatively hired.
From the beginnings of my career in 1962 with a local Children’s Aid Society until my retirement in 1996 as placement resource manager, it has been widely recognized that residential services for male teenagers have been, and continue to be, a priority need within our community.
While the Ministry of Community and Social Services has funded residential programs like the INN of Windsor for young females from 14 to 18 years old, no comparable program, with the exception of some treatment beds at Maryvale, exists for male teens.
The shortage of appropriate local placement options for male youth has contributed to the significant number and associated very high per diem costs of children in the care of the Children’s Aid Society who have had to be placed in institutional care outside of Essex County, in some cases as far away as Bayfield Homes Ltd. in Consecon, Ont., near Belleville.
While the proposed Residence for Young Men is not mandated to service 14- and 15-year-old youth, there are older youth in care placed at Maryvale and elsewhere outside of Essex County who need to transition back into their home community so gains they have made in treatment can be maintained.
From my experience as a social worker in this community and during five years as coordinator of the residential placement advisory committee, which reviews placements of children and youth in residential care, there is a need to get this service in place without further delay. Do not let this long-needed initiative fail.