The Pape Adolescent Resource Centre (PARC), is a preparation to independence program serving youth ages 15-29 years of age presently in care and/or former youth in care. PARC is a joint program operated by the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CAST), the Catholic Children’s Aid Society (CCAS), and Jewish Family & Child Services (JF&CS). PARC assists young people by providing access to practical resources which are necessary for a successful transition to independence.
The Vision of PARC is to empower young people to help themselves and each other through their transition to self-sufficiency, with the acknowledgement and recognition of their own personal power. We offer service to young people through:
u Individualized Case Management
Support offered in the following areas: health and mental health, education, employment, housing, legal, life skill development, crisis counselling
Support Personal & Life-skill Development
Education, Financial Literacy, Parenting, Nutrition, Healthy Sexuality, Cooking Concepts, Investing 101, Relationships, Youth Works, Ahead of The Game, Black Hair Care, Housing and LGBT
Specialized Programs
One Stop Housing, RBC Youth Works, Connections, Ambassador School
Youth most often come to PARC for the first time seeking support to do practical things like find a job, a place to live or find support with furthering their education. Youth arrive at PARC at various stages of readiness for independence and service is designed to accommodate their wide range of needs. During intake, youth meet with an Adolescent Centre Worker to establish an individualized service plan outlining the areas in which the young person requires support and the skills that they wish to develop.
Young people can receive supports in the following areas: employment, education, housing, substance abuse, immigration, life skills, emotional/mental health, identity, sexual health/sexuality. As a relationship develops between a young person and their worker, often more personal work occurs in which a young person is able to reflect upon the factors which brought the into care and their experience in the child welfare system. This individual work is the glue that binds the services of PARC in addition to workers assisting in providing access to resources that a young person may need in their transition to independence.