A push is underway to ensure a program that provides support and services to young, at-risk mothers in Edmonton can continue after it was suspended due to overwhelming demand.
A fundraiser will be held in Edmonton on Thursday night in hopes of raising $40,000 to $50,000 to continue funding the Woven Journey program at the iHuman Youth Society.
iHuman works with youth between the ages of 12 and 24. There are about 500 to 600 youth members at the agency, 85 per cent of whom are indigenous.
The Woven Journey program helps young moms feel empowered to build relationships and raise their children through traditional indigenous teachings, without the involvement of Children’s Services.
“Many of the young moms at iHuman have grown up in care and they’ve had separation and detachment from their own families. So they’ve not necessarily had that experience of what a nuclear family looks like,” said Catherine Broomfield, iHuman’s executive director.
“Here they are, as new young moms, with a lot of apprehension and anxiety about how to raise their little one in a loving and healthy way when their own experience was maybe not that.”
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The Woven Journey program launched in 2009 thanks to a grant from the federal government. The program was the brainchild of a young pregnant woman who didn’t feel welcome in other parents programs.
When funding for the program ran out in 2011, it ran solely on donations.
Late last year, though, the program – which was originally meant for pregnant women and new moms – was forced to take a hiatus following a “massive influx” of young moms and dads with older children looking for support.
“We took a break to evaluate what was going on,” Broomfield said, “to be able to rehone what we’re doing for Woven Journey.”
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iHuman hopes funds raised at the Kick It Up fundraiser on Thursday night will go towards restarting the Woven Journey program and creating a new program for parents with older children.
Broomfield said Woven Journey’s incredible success has shown there’s a need for these types of programs in Edmonton.
“We’ve seen young women that have been part of Woven Journey who, perhaps initially may have had Children’s Services involvement, that have been able to demonstrate that they don’t need Children’s Services involvement,” she said.
“We’ve had young moms have their children returned to them from temporary guardianship or permanent guardianship orders and that’s an amazing accomplishment for those young women and for the program.”
The Kick It Up fundraiser is being held at the iHuman Youth Society located at 9635-102 Ave. from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday.
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