Government of Canada supports the Blue Door Program in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

ST. JOHN'S, Aug. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, Nick Whalen, Member of Parliament for St. John's East, announced, on behalf of the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, that  $2.3 million in federal funding has been made available under the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS)'s Measures to Support Exiting Prostitution for the Blue Door Program delivered by the Thrive Community Youth Network.

The Blue Door Program aims to support individuals in exiting the sex trade and/or sexually exploitive situations including sex trafficking. Inclusive of gender and sexual orientation, the program offers individualized services to overcome barriers to exiting sex trade situations with dignity, self-determination and an environment of respect.

The Blue Door Program will be delivered in collaboration with the Coalition Against the Sexual Exploitation of Youth, which includes representation from Eastern Health, Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, shelter services, police services, and individuals with lived experience.

Quotes

"Our government believes that investing in community-based projects can help those who are the most at risk. The National Crime Prevention Strategy through the Measures to Support Exiting of Prostitution helps us do just that by supporting programs like this one and sharing best practices in that field. Working together, we are making a difference where it matters."

?  The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

"Thrive's Blue Door Program will work to prevent crime while giving at-risk individuals access to support and opportunities they would not otherwise have. I am proud of the dedication of our community to make the place we live in stronger and safer."

? Nick Whalen, Member of Parliament for St. John's East

"Thrive is thrilled to be officially launching the Blue Door Program in St. John's. The Blue Door Program is the first of its kind for our province, and will greatly enhance our community's capacity to support individuals who are engaged in the sex trade and would like support to leave."

? Angela Crockwell, Executive Director Thrive CYN St. John's

Quick Facts:

• Thrive Community Youth Network was established in 2001 and is an umbrella organization that works with the community to support youth by:
• addressing gaps in services;
• building community partnerships;
• increasing awareness of existing programs and services; and
• conducting outreach marginalized youth.
• Close to $43 million is committed to projects in 2017-2018 to support the National Crime Prevention Strategy. Through these investments, the government is supporting the development of cost-effective ways to prevent and reduce crime among at-risk populations and vulnerable communities by intervening to mitigate the underlying factors that put individuals at risk of offending. 
• With the Measures to Support Exiting of Prostitution, Public Safety Canada supports a range of tailored and comprehensive approaches to assist individuals who want to exit prostitution; as well as the dissemination of knowledge and the development of tools and resources related to best practices for exiting prostitution.

Associated Links

• National Crime Prevention Strategy
• Crime Prevention Action Fund: Measures to Support Exiting Prostitution
• THRIVE Community Youth Network

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For more information, please visit the website www.publicsafety.gc.ca.

SOURCE Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada