Launched in January 2006, the Youthworks initiative is a $1.2 million, three-year plan aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness among young Canadians, and supporting them to build a better future.

The initiative goals:

• To help homeless youth move to permanent housing and financial self-sufficiency by giving them access to education and employment and by building their self-esteem;
• To identify best practices to help front-line service providers deliver their programs more effectively;
• To further develop a comprehensive source of information on agencies, initiatives and resources aimed at ending youth homelessness;
• To inform and influence government policy and funding priorities that address homelessness among youth;
• To interest private sector employers in hiring previously homeless youth, to help them to develop or enhance their work skills and become independent, productive members of society;
• To encourage employers to engage their workforce in volunteer activities that support homeless youth.

Youthworks is providing three-year funding support to three agencies that serve homeless and at-risk youth - Eva's Phoenix in Toronto, The Back Door in Calgary, and Choices for Youth in St. John's. These agencies were chosen because together they offer a broad spectrum of innovative education, training, employment and housing supports - all areas within which we want to explore assumptions about homeless youth.

Using one-on-one interviews, these three agencies are helping us to monitor and record the progress of several hundred homeless and at-risk youth.

Our goal is to share information about what works best in helping youth reach their full potential. We will also identify what is not working and where the gaps lie.

Half-way through the process, more than 350 youth have been interviewed. The interviews are repeated at three-month intervals, so that each youth's progress can be followed over time. The focus is on exploring barriers and challenges that the youth and agency counselor feel need to be addressed. For example, financial and housing issues, substance abuse, family conflict, low self-esteem and lack of essential life skills.

This is an undertaking that seeks a deep understanding of the youth's own perspective and insight into the environment, experiences and circumstances that have contributed to their situation, as well as the tools and supports that will help them to reach their personal goals.

Facts

• The majority of youth interviewed have not completed high school. Their lack of education is standing in the way of getting careers.
• About one-third of the youth live in shelters.
• More than two-thirds of the young people said they'd grown up in a family that found it hard to maintain consistent housing.
• Over 70% of the youth indicated that they did not have a positive role model in their life.

Observations

• Basic needs come first. Many youth showing up through outreach are in crisis. They may not immediately identify a lack of education, for example, because they are focused on urgent, practical needs. Once survival has been addressed, they are more willing to tackle other issues.
• Given the opportunity to learn an essential skill, many youth express relief that they no longer feel "stupid" or excluded.
• Many of the young people can only afford substandard accommodation that does not lend itself to making healthy lifestyle choices.
• Leaving the street involves more than finding a place to sleep. Many youth have adapted to the street lifestyle and find it difficult to integrate back into society
• These youth have tremendous survival skills, hopes and dreams for the future that are no different from others of their age.

For a more detailed summary of progress to date, read the most recent issue(s) of Youthworks News.

There are many reasons. Here are just a few:

• It has been estimated that one-third of Canada's homeless population are youth. On any given night, that means close to 65,000 young people are without a place to call home.
• Abuse and neglect are two of the major reasons why young people leave home. Several studies show that nearly 70% of homeless youth have experienced some form of sexual, physical or emotional abuse.
• Homeless youth are exposed to significantly more physical abuse, sickness, injury and mental health problems than their non-homeless peers, with often long-term implications for their self-esteem, relationships, and ability to become self-supporting. A Quebec study found that the death rate among homeless youth was 11 times higher than in the general population.

The costs to society

• The cost of keeping a youth in the shelter system is not easily defined, but estimates are between $30,000 - $40,000 per year (Homelessness: Causes and Effects, 2001).
• Keeping just one youth in detention adds up to over $250 a day, or $100,000 a year (Dept. of Justice: National Crime Prevention Centre, 2001).

Not only is helping Canada's homeless youth the right thing to do, it is also a wise investment in our country. When we provide these young people with the skills and knowledge to become financially independent and self-sufficient, we are supporting them to become contributing members of society. Ultimately, we are enabling them to give back - socially and financially - to their communities.

	We couldn't do this critical work without the generous support of our partners. Direct Energy is a lead sponsor of Youthworks, with a three-year commitment of $330,000. Other Supporting Partners to date include: The Atkinson Charitable Foundation, BMO Financial Group, Bowne of Canada, CIBC, Franklin Templeton Investments, HOMES Publshing Group, Jays Care Foundation, Molson Canada, Scotiabank Group. But we need even more support to succeed. If you are a corporation, foundation, or an individual looking to make a meaningful contribution to our society, consider making that investment in our most precious resource - our young people of Canada. Lead Partner Supporting Partners We also thank the following organizations for their generous support: Borden Ladner Gervais LLP J.P. Bickell Foundation Lerners LLP McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP Rosedale United Church To learn more about becoming a funding partner, contact Maureen Gallagher at maureen@raisingtheroof.org or at (416) 489-6105.

Looking forward

In addition to supporting the work of our partner agencies, Youthworks is providing a networking and communications structure for community agencies serving homeless youth across Canada. Raising the Roof is working with its community partners to document key findings and formulate best practices, ultimately encouraging community partners and corporate stakeholders to work together to influence public policy in solving youth homelessness./p>

Stay with us!

We'll be updating this page throughout the project. Please check back to follow our progress. For more information about the Youthworks initiative, contact Carolann Barr at carolann@raisingtheroof.org.

With support, homeless youth can succeed, and when they succeed, we all benefit.

	The Youthworks Board of Advisors is providing strategic advice to the initiative as it progresses. The Board's members are: Sean Gadon (Chair) Partnership Director, Affordable Housing Office, City of Toronto Jocelyn Greene, Executive Director, Stella Burry Community Services, St. John's Stephen Gaetz, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, York University, Toronto Bill O'Grady, Associate Professor, Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Guelph David Hulchanski, Director, Centre for Urban and Community Studies, University of Toronto Shirley Chau, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health and Social Development, University of B.C., Okanagan Hassan Jama, Youth Cabinet, City of Toronto Jeff Karabanow, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, Dalhousie University Geraldine Babcock, Co-ordinator Youth Programs, Community Resources Unit, City of Toronto Jerry Fest, Youth Development Consultant, Portland, Oregon