NEWS RELEASE
FACS NIAGARA
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Family and Children’s Services (FACS) Niagara and Youth Resources Niagara (YRN) are pleased to announce the opening of a new home providing support to young people in care living with complex mental health and behavioural needs.
The home, located in Welland, supports up to ten young people between the ages of nine and 14. The challenges these young people face mean they cannot live in a family-based setting, leading to many of the youth having to leave Niagara to access the services they require.
“Opening this home for our children will ensure they get the care they need to thrive in their home community of Niagara,” said Anna Bozza, FACS Niagara Executive Director. “Youth Resources Niagara is a trusted organization with a great deal of expertise in supporting young people with challenges and we are so pleased to expand our partnership with them.”
The residential program is operated by YRN, a non-profit organization that employs trauma-informed staff to create nurturing and supportive environments.
The YRN team will provide staffing at the home and programming to the youth who have been placed in the care of FACS Niagara. A full-time clinical director works with each youth to create a personalized treatment and growth plan, while also engaging in weekly therapy sessions.
“We are all deeply committed to the well-being of the youth we serve, and it is through our shared dedication and continued partnership that we will continue to create meaningful change in the lives of these young people,” said Danielle Horodenchuk, Executive Director of Youth Resources Niagara.
FACS and YRN have a longstanding partnership on the existing Genesis and Wagner Houses for youth in care. The new home, affectionately named ‘The Orchard’ to symbolize growth and development, required extensive renovations prior to opening.
Renovations, furnishings, technology, and vehicles for the home were supported by generous donors who gave to the FACS Foundation’s ‘Home for Brighter Tomorrows’ campaign. In total, the campaign raised more than $450,000 to make the project a reality.
“Bedrooms, bathrooms, and a kitchen make it a place to live, but it’s the love and support that young people in care will receive that make it a home. We are grateful to our generous donors for their support and sharing our vision of working together to see our community thrive,” said Brett Sweeney, FACS Niagara Director of Communications and Community Engagement.
Special thanks go out to the Branscombe Family Foundation for providing a $200,000 leadership grant for the project. Having a new home in Niagara for youth in care builds capacity in the region, so fewer children will have to rely on care outside Niagara. Having this home is a fiscally responsible and sustainable solution compared to the significant costs of accessing care, support and services outside their home community of Niagara.
FACS projects the new home will result in $1.2 million in annual savings. To mark the opening of The Orchard, an official ribbon cutting will take place in the spring.
FACS, the Foundation, and YRN extends gratitude to the following donors who supported the project:
- The Branscombe Family Foundation
- DASAKA Foundation
- Niagara Community Foundation – David S. Howes Fund
- Niagara Community Foundation – Philip and Karen Court Family Fund
- Niagara Community Foundation - Community Grant
- John Deere Foundation of Canada
- Rotary Club of Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Wise Guys Charity Fund
- Welland Tim Hortons restaurants Holiday Smile Cookie Campaign
- John and Rosanne Marsh
- CAA Niagara
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