Ontario pledges $19M to fight human trafficking

Programs to provide mentoring, trauma therapy, help for families.

Thestar.com
Sept. 28, 2017
By Kristin Rushowy

Community agencies that support those affected by human trafficking will receive almost $19 million to provide counselling and programming for survivors and their families - including a round-the-clock support team run by the Ontario Native Women's Association.

More than 40 projects will benefit from the funding, including supports such as peer mentoring, trauma therapy, education campaigns and other health and mental-health help, the Ontario government said Thursday.

The money, announced by Minister of Community and Social Services Helena Jaczek and Status of Women Minister Indira Naidoo-Harris, will be shared among agencies around the province, including East Metro Youth Services here in Toronto.

The funding is part of a four-year plan to combat human trafficking in the province, which is mainly for sexual exploitation - and the government says cases in Ontario represent a whopping two-thirds of all cases across the country.