Choices for Youth is laying off 16 full-time employees and 15 youth trainees, and is unable to fill existing vacancies after failing to finalize a $4-million funding agreement with the federal government.

CFY is also reducing its housing supports for 70 young people and is evicting eight people from supportive housing, while eliminating training and educational supports for 35 young people.

Supportive services are also being cut to 25 young mothers and 40 children.

For seven consecutive years, Choices for Youth – which provides services to vulnerable young people – has been able to secure funding from the federal government, and was anticipating that it’s four-year funding would by approved by March 31st, but, a final decision on funding was delayed.

Choices for Youth was looking for a total of $20-million over the next four years, but was notified on June 20th that it was getting a total of $4-million – or $1-million a year for the next four years.

Choices then requested access to all of the funding in the current fiscal year to continue services at existing levels while working to secure alternate long-term support.

Due to continued delays in having that request approved, Choices for Youth is now in the position of having to cut its programs and services.

Executive Director Jen Crowe says they are actively pursuing different opportunities to mitigate the impact. The organization has been forced to go ahead with large-scale operational changes and layoffs.

Crowe has called a news conference for 10:00 tomorrow morning.