New support grants out
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on April 8, 2020.
After 400 contracts and provincial grants for child and family support service agencies were cancelled last fall, new providers have been announced by the Alberta government. In Medicine Hat, the list shows long-serving agencies such as McMan Family Services and Bridges Family programs – which previously held contracts – are joined by Medicine Hat YMCA and the Miywasin Centre. Those were to be announced after final negotiations were set to be completed on March 20, but the final list of successful applicants was only released on Tuesday. That was part of a larger press release about ongoing support during the provincial pandemic response. “As Alberta faces both a pandemic and an economic contraction due to the oil price drop, support to families in need will be critical,” reads the release. The province announced in the last provincial budget released last fall that it would move service delivery to a family network model, with the resulting changes resulting in $15 million of savings. Previous providers were able to reapply, and requests for proposals were due earlier this year. In a list provided without details of amounts or specific services offered, Alberta Health Services is listed as a provider in the south region, along with the Grasslands and Lethrbridge school divisions. In Brooks, a contract has been awarded to the SPEC Association for Children and Families, and several other locations in southwest Alberta are listed. 10-9
