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Rural Response for Healthy
Children Celebrates Good News -
Nov. 30, 2007
MPP Carol Mitchell Announces $67,800 OTF Grant
Clinton – On Friday morning, MPP for Huron-Bruce, Carol Mitchell, was at
the Rural Response for Healthy Children (RRHC) offices in Clinton to
celebrate some wonderful news. Thanks to a two-year, $67,800 grant from
the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), the RRHC will be able to pilot a
new and important positive parenting project in Huron County. Joining
MPP Mitchell to present Executive Director, Marie Tyler, with a plaque
was chair of OTF’s local Grant Review Team, Kathleen Pletch.
Carol Mitchell said,” Children are our future, but also the most
vulnerable part of our community. This new program which aims to help
fathers with their parenting skills will focus on a part of our
community that has been neglected.”
Over the next two years, the grant from the
Foundation will be used to support the development, implementation and
evaluation of a Rural Father Involvement pilot project. The program will
be offered to individuals who are experiencing isolation, low-income,
mental and physical health issues and/or family crisis and seek to give
them the skills and tools necessary as they parent during challenging
times. The results, lessons learned and best practices for preventing
child abuse and neglect will be shared through the national, provincial
and local community partner networks. There has been strong support for
this initiative since the organization was recognized as a leader in the
area of positive father involvement in Southwestern Ontario.
Lauren Rooyakkers, President of Rural Response for
Healthy Children said, “This will benefit our community, our families
and most importantly, our children.” She said that the hiring of male
parent support/education worker will enhance our ability to connect with
fathers and male caregivers who are in need of support, advice and
education. Since 1991, Rural Response for Healthy
Children has worked in Huron County with a vision of providing a
responsive community that protects the rights of children, reduces child
abuse and neglect and strengthens families to nurture their children
through the provision of quality education and prevention programs.
Located in Clinton, they work in cooperation with over 35 to reach out
to at-risk families and enable them to access effectively existing
community services to manage their lives.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the
Government of Ontario. For 25 years, the Foundation has supported the
growth and vitality of communities across the province. OTF continues to
strengthen the capacity of the volunteer sector through investments in
community-based initiatives. For more information, please visit
www.trilliumfoundation.org.
-30- For more information, please
contact:
Carol Mitchell. MPP
Huron-Bruce
519 482-5630 |
