BROCKVILLE – Bob Runciman, MPP, congratulated
officials from Leeds-Grenville Social Services Department for
creating opportunities for people to move from welfare to work.
As a result, they will receive $376,5000 in provincial funding.
“I congratulate municipal staff for their hard work,
dedication and creativity,” said Runciman. “These
placements are vital in helping Ontarians help themselves back
to work. When more people work, everybody wins.”
In 2000/2001, Leeds-Grenville Social Services created 719 Ontario
Works Placements for Ontario Works participants and exceeded its
target by 234 placements. Placements enable welfare recipients
to gain valuable work experience. They also provide people on
welfare with new and updated job skills, improved confidence in
their abilities, up-to-date job references, and contacts with
potential future employers.
“Our municipal partners and their Ontario Works staff
deserve congratulations. In this last year alone, across Ontario,
they have doubled expectations and created almost 100,000 Ontario
Works Placements for people on welfare,” said Brenda Elliott,
Ontario’s Minister of Community, Family and Children’s
Services. “Every Ontario Works Placement means work experience
for one more person on social assistance.”
This funding is part of the $60.5 million rewarded to municipalities
across Ontario for creating Ontario Works Placement opportunities
in 2001/02. The 47 municipalities who deliver Ontario Works
created a total of 98,923 Ontario Works Placements, exceeding
the target of 51,977 placements.
This additional funding will be used to invest in local community
services and is part of the government’s three-year Welfare
to Work Action Plan. Since 1999, the Ontario government has
provided successful municipalities with more than $100 million
in additional funding for exceeding their Ontario Works Placement
targets.
“We believe the best social program is a job. As proud
as we are of municipalities and staff for making Ontario Works
work, we are also proud of the individuals who have taken advantage
of Ontario Works Placement opportunities and who have moved
from welfare to work,” added Runciman.
Since 1995, Ontario’s welfare reforms have helped approximately
600,000 people leave the welfare system.