Sex ed program for young adults with developmental disabilities gets $33K
The SHORE Centre will be delivering the program for youth, caregivers and support staff
The SHORE Centre, formerly Planned Parenthood, will receive $33,600 over the next 12 months from the province for a sexual health education program for young adults with developmental disabilities.
"The abuse rates for people with developmental disabilities is much, much higher than the general population," said Stacey Jacobs, sexual health education manager at SHORE centre.
Jacobs said they have been giving workshops and presentations due to demand from organizations that work with people with developmental disabilities.
She added that with the new funding, SHORE Centre will be able to develop the program and expand it rather than staying reactive and doing things on-the-fly.
The organization will provide workshops and one-on-one support sessions on topics like healthy relationships, birth control, pregnancy options and anatomy.
Funding for the program comes from the Ontario Trillium Foundation's Seed Investment Stream. The stream is funding three other projects in Kitchener, two related to skills training and one for youth counselling.
"Supporting these valuable local organizations through Ontario Trillium Foundation grants allows diverse and unique needs to be met within our community," Daiene Vernile, MPP for Kitchener-Centre, said in a release.