The recently announced $464,983 investment will support the development and delivery of a new community-based program call Building Internal Resilience Through Horses. The program is designed to promote resilience and life-skills in young women aged 13 – 18 years living in the City and County of Peterborough and surrounding areas who are survivors of child maltreatment and/or young women exposed to intimate partner violence. The funding is part of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Innovation Strategy supporting the Health of Victims of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse through Community Programs. This innovative project is being led by the Kawartha Sexual Assault Centre in partnership with The Mane Intent and researchers from Trent University’s Emotion and Health Research Laboratory. KSAC was one of over 150 agencies from across Canada to apply for the funding and one of 16 organizations to successfully receive funding.
A number of community agencies have already stepped forward and shared their support of the new program.
“Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society (KHCAS) is the child protection agency mandated to provide services to children at risk of harm in the counties of Peterborough, City of Kawatha Lakes and Haliburton. At any given time, KHCAS provides foster and group care to approx. 220 to 230 children. The rate of children in care has been rising over the past two years. This is a reflection of the complexities of socio-economic and interpersonal challenges that families are experiencing in society today. KHCAS also provides services to almost 6,000 children who reside with their parents or guardians each year. This initiative will provide a short-term but impactful and immediate intervention to vulnerable young women who have experienced family trauma and/or family disruption. Creating a sense of community and providing trauma- informed services provide the greatest opportunity to mitigate emotional harm to at-risk young women.” – Jennifer Wilson, Executive Director, Kawartha Haliburton Children’s Aid Society
“As an agency that provides service to young women who are at risk of experiencing abuse within their families or within their first dating and love relationships, the YWCA is committed to working with Building Internal Resilience Through Horses project and referring young women aged 13 – 18 years to the Program.”– Lynn Zimmer, Executive Director, YWCA Peterborough Haliburton
“Our professional counselling program provides support to women who have experienced domestic violence, childhood abuse and/or sexual abuse. We also provide support for children who have witnessed domestic violence, childhood abuse and/or sexual abuse. Our services also include providing support to children who have witnessed domestic violence in a group setting in conjunction with a group of their mothers. As such we are keenly aware of the risks that children of mothers who have been victims of violence face. We are also aware how exposure to violence or abuse in childhood increases the vulnerability of intimate partner violence. We are looking forward to referring youth we serve and we believe the innovative nature of this project will reach a number of youth who may be less willing to access traditional counselling services.” – Kirsten Armbrust, Manager, Professional Counselling, Community Counselling and Resource Centre
