Organizations supporting vulnerable families in the north will be receiving $7.2 million in funding from the Provincial Government.
The funding is aimed to help organizations like the Native Co-ordinating Council continue their support for northern Saskatchewan families.
The Native Co-ordinating Council will be receiving the bulk of the funding at $5.8 million. They say they will be using the funding for their diversion programs, which they hope prevent a child from entering the care of the Ministry of Social Services in the first place.
“Rather than a child going into care, we can stop it now and get that family healthy and strong so that child doesn’t have to go into care,” said Janet Carriere with the Board of Directors for the Native Co-ordinating Council . “That’s the outcome I think we all want, none of us want to see broken families. We want to see them together and healthy and happy.”
Prince Albert/Northcote MLA Victoria Jurgens says she was proud to give the funding to the council as well as the other northern organizations. She says it is a part of her strategy to focus on northern issues.
“Northern issues are very dear to my heart and I think it is a beautiful part of our province, so with the $7.2 million all told I think it goes a long way to helping some of the issues we have.”
Another organization to receive $155,000 is the La Loche Friendship Centre.
“We are hoping to increase our numbers because we have a large surrounding community,” said Leonard Montgrand, Executive Director for the Friendship Centre. “We have a lot of social issues that seem to come with our community, so we are always trying new programs to increase the capacity of our staff and make our community stronger and better.”
Other organizations to receive funding include the Children North Early Prevention Program in La Ronge, the Buffalo Narrows Friendship Centre, the Pine Island Community Reference Panel in Cumberland House, the Nipawin Oasis Community Co-operative, the Prince Albert Parkland Regional Health Authority and the Keewatin Yatthe Regional Health Authority in Buffalo Narrows.