Jacqueline Rieu wants her son back. He’s eight years old, is on the autism spectrum and has been living in foster care since being apprehended by Manitoba Child and Family Services five years ago.
Jacqueline Rieu wants her son back. He’s eight years old, is on the autism spectrum and has been living in foster care since being apprehended by Manitoba Child and Family Services five years ago. Other than my son having a disability, no one understands why my son is not home with me, Rieu says, adding that she has since been diagnosed with autism herself. What they’ve said in the past… is, ‘We don’t think you can handle his disability,’ even though I have the same disability and more understanding.
Winnipeg Free Press By: Paul Samyn | Posted: 7:00 PM CDT Friday, Apr. 9, 2021
There are many things a good newspaper needs to be.
A light that exposes injustice. A magnifying glass that brings into focus what otherwise might be missed. A signpost to help you navigate the way to events that matter to you.
A foundation that supports and strengthens the community through the power of its words and pictures.
But these and other fundamental qualities of a newspaper we strive to deliver each and every day aren’t enough if the
Free Press isn’t also a bridge.
For far too long, our newsroom has been like so many others in this country, offering journalism built on connections already established and well-served.
WINNIPEG The provincial and federal governments announced a new program to help vulnerable Manitobans afford safe and stable housing. Ahmed Hussen, federal minister of families, children and social development, and Heather Stefanson, Manitoba’s minister of families, made the announcement on Thursday in a news release, noting the governments will invest more than $17.5 million in housing benefits over the next two years and $154.6 million over the next eight years. “Our government is committed to ensuring that every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home. Long-term, predictable funding for housing has been needed for more than a decade,” Hussen said.
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Those at risk of experiencing homelessness, ageing out of the child welfare system or experiencing other issues such as addictions could soon be eligible for a housing benefit.
Province of Manitoba, End Homelessness Winnipeg, and other organizations are partnering to deliver a Canada-Manitoba Housing Benefit from the Government of Canada.
Over the course of eight years, $154.6 million is being doled out to help three specific populations find secure housing. The population include:
• young adults who are transitioning out of, or have recently aged out of, the child welfare system
• people who are, or are at risk of becoming, homeless