Issue link: http://e-delivery.uberflip.com/i/766665
Demographics The 314 youth we served in our 2015/2016 program year were usually without parental support, often in crisis, and from a variety of backgrounds. The following demographics profiled our client base (and change little from year to year): THE NEED FOR OUR PROGRAM Our programming has evolved and adapted in a direction that the youth have pointed us. The issues that emerge in our work with youth are problems for our society. When youth fall through the cracks, and are unable to participate in our society in constructive and meaningful ways they do so in destructive ways. The low literacy rate among inmates in our jails is well known. The lack of skills, unemployment, and poverty, create a dependent population. When desperation becomes part of this tragedy, abuse and criminal activity are often the result. The result for society is a great loss of human potential and the creation of a dependent population; thereby, incurring enormous financial and social costs for the community. ICYDA programming facilitates the transition of inner city and other high risk youth into contributing members of society. were of Aboriginal heritage lived in unsafe or unstable housing and would fit the official definition of homelessness were completely homeless when they first registered with us; sleeping in homeless shelters, bus shelters and anywhere else they could lay their head youth were placed in group homes by our youth and social workers 85-90% lived in group homes lacked basic resources were without parental support 10% 90% 90% 85% 21% 25 Our demographics paint a picture of the youth who access our programs. It is also a similar background to many of the inmates in our provincial jails and federal penitentiaries. Helping Youth Help Themselves ANNUAL REPORT 2015/2016 Demographics 3