Manitoba Families is creating a Youth Leadership Council to engage community experts and youth from across the province to provide their perspectives, insights, and advice on current and emerging issues for youth who access services offered by the department including those who:

  • are in the care of child and family services agencies,
  • live with disabilities,
  • live with families that receive Employment and Income Assistance,
  • live in Manitoba Housing, and
  • have experienced homelessness.

The Youth Leadership Council will reflect the diversity of Manitoba including 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth.

The council’s initial project will be to produce a high-level report about the effects of COVID-19 on youth who receive services from Manitoba Families’ programs, as well as recommendations on how to modernize and adapt these programs to better address the needs of youth.

Manitoba Families is recruiting five community experts from organizations that provide services to or promote the rights of youth, as well as six youth members aged 15 to 21 that reflect Manitoba’s diversity to become council members for the first one-year term beginning in the fall.

Youth members will benefit from the mentorship of experienced community leaders and will receive an honourarium for their participation. One youth member will be appointed as co-chair of the council.

Applications are due by August 31, 2022. You can find the application form online at: www.gov.mb.ca/fs/youthcouncil