PARC Services

The Pape Adolescent Resource Centre, (PARC) is a preparation for independence program serving youth in care and former youth in care of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, (CAST), the Catholic Children’s Aid Society, (CCAS) and Jewish Family and Chiild Service. (JF&CS) between the ages of 15-24 years. PARC works with youth to help themselves and each other through their transition to self sufficiency, with acknowledgement and recognition of their own power.

PARC assists young people by providing access to practical RESOURCES which are necessary for a successful transition to independence. Support is offered to young people in the areas of employment, education, housing, identity, sexuality, emotional/mental health, substance abuse, lifeskills.

PARC encourages personal and emotional growth which may take the form of improved relationship skills, and personal development by providing youth with the opportunity for decision making at all levels of the PARC service and in their own lives. VOICE.

PARC is a safe community; a point of CONNECTION, where youth have the opportunity to develop or receive support from staff and each other. Based upon a sense of belonging, youth who initially require a good deal of support have the opportunity to give back to other members of the community by their leadership and involvement in various programs and by the supportive networks they develop outside the Centre.

PARC works to establish a pathway to independence for youth in care and former youth in care linking youth with the broader community.

The three elements of resources, voice and connection are central to the success of the PARC model of service. In the year 2000, a 12 member delegation of the Shiiseido Child Welfare Foundation met with PARC staff to study the model with a goal of replicating it in Osaka, Japan in 2001. In the year 2000 the Laidlaw Foundation held the PARC model of as an exemplar service.

The Centre "was very moved by the spontaneous comments the youth made about PARC . When Elizabeth said that "at PARC, they just care-no strings attached". "I thought to myself, that is what every child yearns for-to be loved unconditionally and that is what all parents hope to hear from their children-they feel loved unconditionally."
Seemes to me there can be no stronger proof of the importance of the work that PARC is doing than those words »
Jaqueline Smith

Director
Circle For Children In Care

The Pape Adolescent Rersource Centre, (PARC) is a preparation for independence program serving youth in care and former youth in care of the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, (CAST), the Catholic Children’s Aid Society, (CCAS) and Jewish Family and Children’s Services, (JF&CS) between the ages of 15-24 years. PARC works with youth to help themselves and each other through their transition to self sufficiency, with acknowledgement and recognition of their own power.

PARC is based upon a sound philosophical base which has been informed by the work of Paolo Freire among others. Freire’s concept of the "reflection –action" axis has been adopted and adapted by PARC in understanding and respecting the youth who make use of the Centre. His work has also influenced the process through which PARC operates. Freire was influenced by his literacy work in the countryside of Brazil and his theory of education is truly inspiring and liberating.

The reflection-action axis as understood by PARC suggests that to be truly independent people must master a process through which they reflect upon their lives and then take action. After taking action they then must reflect again and take action again. The process seems simple enough but for young people who feel little hope, and who often feel little control over their own lives the process is difficult to trust and master. PARC as an entity employs this process in programming, and planning as well. Staff and youth are engaged in this axis together through what Freire calls « dialogue ». This process of dialogue respects the knowledge base of both teacher and learner, youth and staff. It creates an environment through which all learn and all contribute. It engenders hope and possibiltiy. As PARC grew dialogue has been reflected in the layers of learning which take place when older youth, supported by Staff, offer service to younger youth.

Certainly the philosophical base of PARC is more complicated than expressed here but it is instructive to understand that it exists. It is one of the factors which makes PARC unique. Through refection the PARC community has been able to influence child welfare in Toronto , in the Province of Ontario, across Canada and internationally.

The philosophical base which PARC employs has evolved over time. While PARC can be understood to be organized in areas of service, it can also be understood to provide support to youth in care and former youth in care ithrough three elements of service; resources, connection and voice.

"As a youth in care I lived with labels, with stigma, with a feeling of shame. I was « an abused kid, « i did not have a family ». But at PARC I did not have to explain. All of a sudden, it was okay to be on my own at 18, okay not to have a family or go home for the holidays. I have seen people do things that they never thought they could, seen them push themselves forward personally and emotionally, seen myself do both, all because of a connection that was made with a person or a group of people."

18 year old PARC youth, 2000

In a way PARC has become a place that defies description. It is dynamic and complex expression of the needs and strengths of current and former youth in care with a culture where, even in the face of tremendous obstacles, anything is possible. PARC is a community of young people who are learning to speak with eloquence about their lives and their child welfare experience, who are accepting support and direction from youth in care alumni, who are reaching out to youth in care in other countries, who are redefining what family is to them, who are aquiring optimism about their life chances, who are returning to school to finish their matriculation, who are risking themselves by venturing into postsecondary education, who are learning the discipline of work and caring for others.

Service Description :

Youth arrive at PARC at various stages of readiness for independence. Service is designed to accommodate their wide range of needs. At one end of the spectrum is service which is intensive and staff facilitated and at the other end is service which is develoiped and operated by older youth who have reached a position of being able to give back to their younger peers. The essence of PARC is perhaps best described in the voice of one of its youth :

"People talk about strengthening families. Well, for youth in care and former youth in care like us, you can find family in many forms. Some of us find family in foster homes, some even with their social workers. For many of us PARC is a part of our family. This helps us move on. It gives us confidence. It lets us deal with our baggage. It helps us with practical things like finding jobs. It gives us a chance to give back and help others in our community and family."

PARC meets the needs of youth by providing a variety of group and individual services which fall generally into the categories of personal work, housing, employment, education and the development of voice.

Administration :

2002 was a significant year for PARC. In many ways it was a watershed year. In mid 2002 PARC staff and youth engaged in a « Strategic Planning » exercise designed to develop a long term plan for the Centre. This activity was inspired by the desire by the PARC community to address the increasing demand for service while maintaining the exemplary model of service which has earned so much support to date. This work, which is ongoing , but well underway, is led by a Strategic Planning Committee. The Committee which is composed of Managers from the CAST, CCAS, Hope For Children Foundation, Children’s Aid Foundation and of course PARC, is supported by Cliff Hatch a volunteer representative of the World Presidents Organization. The Committee has met on a biweekly business to oversee the process.

The planning process is based upon the classic "Boston Consulting Model". The process has involved consultation with PARC youth and staff as well as PARC stakeholders. The process involves three stages; 1) "Where Are We At?" an agreement between staff, youth and key stakeholders about the strengths and weaknesses, of the PARC program and the threats and opportunities currently facing the Centre, (this stage is complete) 2)an agreement between PARC staff and youth, as well as stakeholders as to long term, (3-5 years) goals and direction of the Centre "Where Do We Want To Be", and 3) an agreement between PARC staff,youth and stakeholders as to an implementation plan to achieve the stated long term goals, "How Do We Get There".

In undertaking this strategic planning process a guiding principle has been to protect the critical core elements and unique culture of PARC to ensure that the essence of the program is not endangered.

Information about the strengths and weaknesses of PARC have been solicited from a wide variety of stakeholders : PARC staff, PARC youth, PARC volunteers and supporters, Youth In Care not currently affiliated with PARC, Teams of social workers in the long term care units of the CAST and CCAS, the Director and Service Director of the CAST, the Director and Service Director of the CCAS, the Service Director of JF&CS, the CAST Foster Parent Association, the Ministry of Community and Social Services, the National Youth In Care Network, the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, the Office of the Child and Family Advocate of Ontario.

Consistently PARC was viewed as a unique and exmplary model of service. Consistently a request was made for more PARC services; whether more service to the same youth, more service to similar youth, or service to a different group of youth.

Through the auspices of the CAF PARC received funding from Fidelity Insurance to support the planning process. This funding has allowed PARC to strengthen through a number of initiatives : 1. The hiring of a consultant to develop a formal evaluative process for the Centre which will support research and inform future program development, 2. The development of materials which will give voice to PARC service and deliniate the learnings from the work of the Centre over the past 6 years.

The Strategic Planning process should be completed early in 2003.

The Centre continued in 2002 to make improvements. During the summer of 2002 staff and youth at PARC renovated the basement of the house to create a computer lab which was functional and comfortable. Plans to improve the computer technology at the Centre and further develop the PARC web site have been set for 2003.

In 2002 PARC continued to receive visting delegations of child welfare professionals from around the world. These delegations hearing about PARC through word of mouth came to the Centre to learn about the approach to preparation for independence developed by staff and youth. Delegations visited from Japan, Germany, Britain, the United States and Canada.

Personal Work :

Youth most often come to to PARC for the first time seeking support to do practical things like finding a job, a place to live, or finding support with furthering their education. Youth meet with a PARC worker in order to request service and to establish a service plan. As a relationship develops between a young person and their PARC worker, often more personal work occurs in which a youth is able to reflect upon the factors which brought them into care and their experience as a youth in the child welfare system. This individual work is the glue that binds the PARC service together. Highlights in the year 2002 include;

* 420 youth were served by PARC in 2002

2 former social workers of the CAST, now in private practice, offered their service as therapists to 10 former youth in care from PARC.
A Psychiatrist from St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto assessed over 20 PARC youth who were experienceing mental health difficulties.

Community :

As one youth put it, "To be independent does not mean to be alone". PARC staff and youth strive to create a positive, empowering community which can support youth in making gains in their lives. Often events and activities open to all youth connected to PARC can help develop the PARC community. Events in 2002 included :

- Four camp trips to Camp Chetwynd involving over 50 PARC youth and six PARC staff took place in order to promote the development of a PARC community, build relationships, and develop trust.
- Christmas/Chanukah Party for 250 PARC youth
- Passover dinner, Thanksgiving dinner for 30 youth
- Pride Week Celebration for 20 youth
- Black History Month Celebration for 20 youth
- Ski Trip for 25 youth
- International Women’s Day Celebration for 10 youth
- Boundless Adventure Outdoor Recreation Self Esteem Building Program for 12 youth, 2 staff for one week in July

Housing :

PARC offers a range of housing services to youth. In 2002 service highlights included :

- partnership with the City of Toronto, Single Housing Opportunity Program, (SHOP) which enables PARC to manage 4 houses and support a total of 20 youth in cooperative living, rent geared to income, (RGI) accomodation.
- partnership with the Supportive Housing Coalition through which 12 youth are supported by PARC to live in RGI bachelor apartments.
- partnership with Interchurch Housing through which 6 youth are supported by PARC to share 3 two bedroom RGI apartments.
- partnership with the former Cityhome of Toronto through which 3 youth are supported by PARC in RGI bachelor apartments.
- PARC offered over 12,000 days of housing, (days care) directly to youth who use the Centre.
- PARC received funding from the City of Toronto Department of Shelter and Housing to secure expertise for PARC to lead the CAST, and CCAS in developing a plan for building housing for youth in care and former youth in care.
- PARC staff provide leadership to two internal committees of the CAST and CCAS seeking new approaches to placement for youth in care and PARC staff provides leadership, as Chairperson, to the City of Toronto Alternative Housing Subcommittee.
- The One Stop Housing program, a partnership of nine youth serving agencies, led by PARC provides leads for youth seeking housing in the City of Toronto. In 2000 over 50 youth from PARC were assisted in locating market rent housing through this service.

Employment :

Employment has traditionally been the most requested service by youth on arrival to PARC. For this reason PARC offers programs which support youth in their search for employment at whatever stage of development and skill level they are at. In 2002 highlights included;

- 7 older PARC youth led 50 younger youth in employment skill building programs during the summer.
- a Job Fair, organized by PARC, bringing together 10 private sector employers attracted over 50 youth in care searching for summer employment.
- In partnership with Woodgreen Youth Employment Centre, PARC youth were able to access the Summer Job Service, (SJS) program through PARC.
- 6 PARC youth formed a Team which worked to design and paint murals throughout Toronto.
- PARC staff established and chaired a committee of 12 Youth Employment Counselling Centres (YECC’s) designed to increase access to employment services for youth in care. PARC staff led the Committee in facilitating two workshops for CAST, CCAS, and JF&CS staff linking them to youth employment services in Toronto.
- An older PARC youth was hired part time throughout the year to act as a Job Developer for PARC youth.
- A part time, after school, job training initiative served 20 PARC youth.
- The Creative Youth Enterprises project involved a group of PARC youth in gaining self confidence through the creation of a greeting card small business initiative.

Education :

Increasingly the PARC community has created and nurtured a culture of possibility. Youth at all stages of independence are encouraged to think about their career goals and options. Support in education for all youth who use the Centre has become a crucial element of PARC programming. In 2002 highlights included;

- over 50 youth connected to PARC attended post secondary institutions.
- 17 youth from PARC attended PARC’s Ambassador School in order to re-enter the secondary school system. PARC led the school with support from the City of Toronto, Drug Abuse Prevention Program and the Toronto Board of Education in establishing a new stable classroom in downtown Toronto.
- 6 volunteers tutored youth at PARC.
- In partnership with the Gateway Cafe Employment service PARC youth were able to access Pyschological Educational Assessments.
- 3 volunteers developed an evening computer training and computer support program held weekly in the PARC computer room.
- the Transitional Year Program, (TYP) at the University of Toronto held a special information meeting encouraging youth at PARC to consider post secondary studies.
- meetings were held during 2002 for all youth connected to PARC who were studying at the post secondary level, to meet with each other to gain support and and share concerns.
- 3 PARC youth were hired to develop a peer tutor program for youth in care .

Voice/Community :

Youth at PARC are encouraged to take control and ownership of their lives. This involves learning to reflect upon decisions and learning to take action. It may involve learning to appropriately speak for oneself and at times may involve what youth at PARC term ‘ speaking out ‘. This activity is supported through the creation of a safe, stable community with the Centre as a hub. In 2002 highlights included :

- 20 PARC youth spoke at 12 meetings orienting volunteers of the CAST.
- 11 PARC youth led groups for 50 PARC youth exploring self expression through art, teaching video production, teaching web site design, encouraging healthy recreational activities, teaching safe sex and healthy relationships, teaching small business development.
- Over 200 PARC youth participated in a number of community events including; Black History Month Celebration, Gay Pride Day Celebration, Passover Dinner, and Christmas Party.
- PARC youth organized a conference for 70 Toronto area youth in care focussing on personal development, and healthy sexuality
- PARC youth spoke to students at George Brown College, Ryerson University, the Sparrow Lake Alliance, Foster Parent Associations, the Child and Family Advocate of Ontario

Partnerships :

Each PARC program has been built upon a partnership of one sort or another, from the employment initiatives emenating from the PARC created committee of Youth Employment Counselling Centres, to the individual commitment and participation of members of the broader community. PARC has developed an incredible network of individuals and agencies. This network supports youth in care and former youth in care at PARC and often beyond PARC.

Service Location:

PARC is located in a simple three story house at 469 Pape Avenue, near downtown Toronto.The house has become a point of connection for a large community of youth-some are regular visitors, some visit less frequently, but all feel they belong.