The provincial budget set aside $4.3 million for wrap-around supports for young people and young families. Choices for Youth is pleased with the additional funds.

Jen Crowe, Senior Director of Strategy, Fund Development and External Relations with Choices, says the money will help them establish wraparound supports for young people who find themselves in a tough spot.

Crowe says one thing they have noticed over the years is an increase in the number of people turning up on their doorstep from outside the metro region.

The non-profit supports about 1,300 people each year—26 per cent of whom travel to the capital to access services. Crowe says they didn’t go to St. John’s because they wanted to—but because they felt they had to in order to access services.

Choices hopes to use the $4.3 million to establish two new sites outside metro with housing capacity.

She says their goal is to make things simple to meet the needs of young people who are often told to go here for help with housing, somewhere else for food and elsewhere for other services.