Ontario Ministry of Education Anti-Bullying and Mental Health Funding Announcement
Ontario Ministry of Education Anti-Bullying and Mental Health Funding Announcement
Ontario Ministry of Education Anti-Bullying and Mental Health Funding Announcement
November 19, 2024
On Monday November 18, 2024 Ontario Education Minister, Jill Dunlop announced pflag Canada as a successful recipient of funding from the Ontario government’s anti-bullying and mental health campaigns. The $100,000 investment will help to address the disproportionate impacts to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth mental health and wellbeing, and to provide additional support to education, advocacy, and resource development regarding anti-bullying and mental health.
Christa Duvall, pflag Canada Board President:
“On behalf of pflag Canada’s national Board and the many pflag Chapters across 10 provinces, we are proud to be a recipient of the Ministry of Education’s funding toward addressing bullying and supporting mental health. 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are much more likely to be the target of bullying, with 77% reporting to have experienced bullying in the last year (1).
Additionally, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are twice as likely to report poor mental health and twice as likely to have considered suicide as compared to other bullied groups (2).
We at pflag Canada are committed to providing ongoing support to 2SLGBTQIA+ people and their families through advocacy, education and resources. This funding will support pflag Canada in our commitment to be family for all.”
The pflag Canada Board will work with our Chapters across the country to increase programming, resources, and education supports relating to anti-bullying and mental health as we continue to meet the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and their families.
To connect with a pflag Canada Chapter in your community, please visit pflagcanada.ca/chapters ; and for further information about pflag Canada resources, check out pflagcanada.ca/resources.
1) Bullying victimization among sexually and gender diverse youth in Canada. From 2019 Canadian Health Survey of Children and Youth (CHSCY) October 18, 2022, Statistics Canada
2) “Socioeconomic profile of the 2SLGBTQ+ population aged 15 years and older, 2019 to 2021”. The Daily, January 25, 2024. Statistics Canada, using combined cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) (2019 to 2021).