In 2009/2010, the Ministry of Health Promotion has partnered with a variety of provincial and community organizations in priority neighbourhoods to deliver after-school programs and services. More than 15,500 children and youth in over 270 sites across the province will benefit from the Ontario’s After-School Initiative. These programs include:

• healthy eating and nutrition education to help combat childhood obesity,
• physical activity to encourage active lifestyles,
• personal health and wellness education to promote self-esteem, and
• other activities to address specific priorities based on local community needs.

The programs align with findings of the Review of the Roots of Youth Violence Report, which recommended that after-school programs be available to promote good nutrition and positive activity, and to help keep youth off the streets.

The after-school initiative is also an important part of Breaking the Cycle: Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, which aims to reduce the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over 5 years — lifting 90,000 kids out of poverty — by boosting benefits for low–income families and enhancing publicly-funded education.

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