About Us
Parker’s Project is about engaging youth, while collecting information about parenting experiences of young parents.
Over 12 years ago, the communities of Brantford and Brant County were shocked when the body of a newborn boy was found in a Brantford park. In an anonymous letter sent to police the young mother indicated she didn’t know where to turn for assistance and was too scared to approach anyone she knew about her situation. While there have been some changes in services over the last 12 years there is still a need to identify and address service issues.
Parker’s Project was designed to empower vulnerable youth to become change makers in their community. With mentorship, training, and support, youth will lead and participate in formative evaluation to investigate how community agencies can better support pregnant and parenting teens.
Parker’s Project, named after the still unidentified infant, is a youth-led community collaborative project to investigate the needs of local youth who are pregnant or parenting young children. A collaborative of youth and community agencies was formed to oversee a needs assessment to investigate what pregnant and parenting youth identify as their need in terms of support.
Parker’s Project was designed to empower vulnerable youth to become change makers in their community. With mentorship, training, and support, youth will lead and participate in formative evaluation to investigate how community agencies can better support pregnant and parenting teens. Funding for Parker’s Project was provided through a grant from the Ontario 150 program and donations in-kind from the collaborative partners. In-kind support included office space, internet access, meeting space, consults, focus work-groups, interview space, volunteers, distribution of flyers, and recruitment of youth, staffing hours, printing and food.
