Investment increasing access to supports in rural and remote communities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Feb. 8, 2022
SIMCOE – The Ontario government is addressing the growing strain on services due to COVID-19 by investing $3.6 million to rural frontline agencies, including $42,889 for Haldimand-Norfolk Women’s Services.
The additional investment will provide agencies with more resources, strengthen culturally responsive supports for Indigenous women, and reduce geographic and transportation barriers which will significantly improve access to quality care and services to victims in rural and remote communities.
“Someone’s location should not act as a barrier to access quality care and services,” said Jane McKenna, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. “We want to make sure that everyone affected by violence and sexual exploitation receive the supports they need, no matter where they are in the province.”
“Services such as Haldimand-Norfolk Women’s Services are critical to the most vulnerable members of our community and this funding will ensure they can access and receive the support they need,” said Toby Barrett, MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk.
“Rural and remote funding helps communities like ours connect women and their children to service,” said Jane Scheel, executive director of Haldimand and Norfolk Women’s Services. “This enhancement helps us to eliminate barriers for women and provide innovative transportation models and counselling and group initiatives with a variety of options to best meet the community needs”
The ministry will work collaboratively with rural service providers to deliver targeted localized supports and implement projects that build positive outcomes for women living in or from rural communities.
QUICK FACTS
- As a result of COVID-19, women and gender-diverse Ontarians have faced additional challenges, such as increased economic insecurity, greater burden of caregiving responsibilities and a rise in the incidence of domestic violence and human trafficking. Ontario established the Ontario’s Task Force on Women and the Economy to identify how the government can address these challenges.
- Ontario’s Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy represents the largest total investment dedicated to anti-human trafficking supports and services in Canada.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Ontario provides up to $40 million in relief funding for residential service providers that support vulnerable populations.
- Ontario releases Pathways to Safety: Ontario’s Strategy in Response to the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
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For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or toby.barrett@pc.ola.org