Chatham-Kent’s children’s services agency is expanding a youth social program thanks to a recent provincial grant.
Linck Child, Youth and Family Supports has received $192,800 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Resilient Communities Fund to expand the Chatham-Kent Youth Social program to four nights per week.
“This program exists to enrich the lives of youths across Chatham. We strive to set good examples, encourage positive growth, and establish a feeling of safety and care,” said Cassidy Taylor, a youth engagement advisor at Linck, in a news release. “Youth have consistently been asking us to open our doors more days a week since we started over a year ago. They are very excited about this upcoming change and feel that their opinions played a part in making it happen.”
The Chatham-Kent Youth Social is a drop-in space that supports youth with social skills, recreation, and learning life skills. The program was created after families expressed concerns regarding social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Linck is one of 295 not-for-profit organizations in Ontario to receive funding through the Resilient Communities Fund.