Chentale de Montigny, interim Director of Programs, Impact and Community Relations, Yann Pineault, Executive Director of CJE Laurentides, Catherine Lajeunesse-Lubbersen, Project Officer and Youth Worker at CJE Laurentides and Fabienne Audette, CEO of Fondation des jeunes de la DPJ
The Fondation is proud to support the “Ma place, mon réseau” (My place, my network) project from Carrefour jeunesse-emploi Laurentides, a program for youths in care aged 15 or older, with $50,000 in funding.
This funding allowed for the hiring of a person dedicated exclusively to the project. Now Carrefour jeunesse-emploi (CJE) Laurentides can expand the scope of its program to reach more youths in care in the area. This project focuses on bolstering the independence, self-understanding, academic perseverance, employability, well-being and healthy lifestyle habits of teenagers, to help them prepare for adulthood. This new resource plays a critical role in connecting various stakeholders and building a bridge between the community, stakeholders and young people.
“Ma place, mon réseau” resulted from a commitment to develop a partnership between CJE Laurentides and the Huberdeau and Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts rehabilitation centres, to reach youths in the care of the DYP who seldom have the opportunity to work on their independence. The project is driven by the intent to provide youths with better tools for their transition to adulthood. As such, CJE Laurentides, the Centre de réadaptation pour les jeunes en difficulté d’adaptation (CRJDA) in Sainte-Thérèse, the Youth Qualification Program (PQJ) and local community organizations are working together to create normalizing experiences for youths living in a group home and to make connections between them and existing resources in their community.
Our goal is to prepare young people to face their future with confidence. With this project, we’re creating a safety net for youths who feel more isolated. It will strengthen the protective factors in anticipation of them leaving the home. We want to give them the tools they need so they don’t feel alone or helpless when they leave the facility. And make sure they know about the available resources they can turn to.
The program offers a variety of workshops and activities with external partners, such as local community organizations and potential employers. These partners discuss their areas of expertise with the participants and share their inspiring journeys. The workshop content is carefully chosen based on the interests and concerns of the youths living at the homes, and they are consulted throughout the process.
By pooling the different strengths and expertise of the youth workers and community resources, young people can gain normalizing experiences, which then open them up to the outside world. All this helps in their transition to independence as it is tailored to each individual. The project is perfectly aligned with the Fondation’s mission and its Transitioning Towards an Autonomous Life program.
Every young person deserves to believe in their potential and feel supported along their journey towards a brighter future. By supporting a high impact project, like this one, we have the opportunity to help youths in the care of the DYP to get the tools they need to reach their full potential.
This project was funded as part of the 2024 call for proposals, through which the Fondation des jeunes de la DPJ supports innovative projects that help youths in care transitioning to adulthood, in Montreal and various regions of Quebec.
