Civil Remedies Grant Program supports embedded behavioural therapists
BELLEVILLE– To help support victims and prevent crime, the Ontario government is allocating up to $200,000 to the Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society, Tyler Allsopp, MPP for Bay of Quinte announced today. The funding is being provided through the Civil Remedies Grant Program.
The funding will support the Pathways to Safety program, hiring and embedding applied behavioural analysis specialists within child welfare teams to provide early behavioral intervention and trauma-informed supports to children and youth who have experienced, or are at risk of, violence, exploitation, or family breakdown.
“With this investment we are ensuring that impacted children and their families within Hastings, Prince Edward and Northumberland counties have the stability they need following difficult events,” said Allsopp. “These specialized workers will also assist the team at Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society to navigate complex cases they face in their day-to-day workload.”
Through the 2026-28 Civil Remedies Grant Program, Ontario is allocating $5 million in cash and proceeds seized from criminals to help 27 law enforcement agencies and community and Indigenous organizations fight crime and strengthen public safety across the province.
“Our government is protecting Ontario by using every available tool, including civil forfeiture, to help police and community partners confront and dismantle criminal networks that prey on our communities,” said Attorney General Doug Downey. “Crime should never pay, and these seized funds will help communities support victims of crime and break the cycle of offending.”
Funding through the Civil Remedies Grant Program is provided through the forfeiture of property or money that has been used for or results from crime.
QUICK FACTS
- In 2021, Ontario reinvested $1.5 million in cash and proceeds seized from criminals to support 18 community projects focused on helping victims of crime and strengthening local crime prevention.
- Through the Protect Ontario Through Safer Streets and Stronger Communities Act, the Keeping Criminals Behind Bars Act and related measures, Ontario is keeping communities safe and protecting victims of crime.
- Ontario is investing over $2.3 million over three years to expand access to the Independent Legal Advice program which provides free legal advice to victims of sexual assault, human trafficking, intimate partner violence and other sexual offences.
- Ontario is protecting young victims and witnesses of crime by investing $4.2 million to expand the Child Victim Witness Program to seven new communities.
- The Civil Remedies Grant Program is funded exclusively by assets seized and sold through the Civil and Administrative Forfeiture Program, including vehicles, luxury handbags, jewelry, cash and real estate.
QUOTE
“At Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society, we are an extremely grateful recipient of the Civil Remedies Grant. Our goal with this funding is to impact service recipients we work with and the community. We have entered a partnership with the Anchor Pathways to Safety Program. Through co-ordinated collaboration between child welfare, police, education, and Indigenous partners, the intention of the program is to enhance system-level capacity, improve family stability, and establish a sustainable, replicable model for victim prevention in underserved communities such as ours in Eastern Ontario.”
– Jess Uddenberg, Executive Director
Highland Shores Children’s Aid Society