Correction: A previous version of this article reported the entire amount in the FCSS budget incorrectly. The $930,000 budget figure is for only one of the three FCSS program areas, the city-run Individual and Family Supports program of FCSS only.
Preventative social service programs in St. Albert could see more than half of their funding evaporate if council approves a change to the municipal budget next week.
The motion, made by Mayor Cathy Heron, would permanently cut $300,000 from the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) program to reduce the city’s contribution to 20 per cent. FCSS is funded with an 80-per-cent contribution from the province and a 20-per-cent contribution from municipalities, though cities can give more if they want to.
About $600,000 of the total pot of money goes toward not-for-profit organizations, like the St. Albert Community Village and Food Bank and the St. Albert Seniors Association, to help them fund educational and supportive programming.
The FCSS was already oversubscribed for 2021 by about $39,414, with some organizations set to receive 30 to 50 per cent of what they requested. Funding recommendations were received but not approved by council on Nov. 16.
Those amounts could change if the motion is approved during budget deliberations, though a city backgrounder suggested the money could be cut from city-operated programs. Allocations also depend on how much the province is willing to fund FCSS in next year's budget.
Areni Kelleppan, executive director of Stop Abuse in Families (SAIF) Society, said a bulk of their funding for youth counselling and education programs is funded through FCSS. If the cuts spill over into money for local organizations, losing that funding would be “devastating” for St. Albert youth, she said.
“The youth that come through our doors face all kinds of abuse – you would not imagine the stories that we hear,” Kelleppan said. The effects of losing preventative programming may not be felt immediately, but the community will pay the cost later on if help isn't available for youth in need, she said.
“For those youth, it’s a struggle to get them in the doors in the first place. Often, if they've been through the system at all, they are very mistrustful and it can be really hard to build rapport and get them to trust us. And we're able to do that, I would say 95 per cent of the time and make headway. So to lose that funding, to lose that opportunity to support those kids, would be devastating for them.”
Council and city administration discussed possible changes to the budget over the summer, and Mayor Cathy Heron moved them forward earlier this month ahead of deliberations. Heron said she hasn't decided how she will vote, but the purpose of the motion isn't to withdraw supports for not-for-profits.
"The motion is about two things: recognizing a shared responsibility with the province to provide those supports, and looking for better ways to support our not-for-profits in St. Albert," Heron said.
Instead of monetary support, the city could help not-for-profits in other ways, she suggested.
"They're spending a lot on human resources, on IT, on space ... why don't we just offer it to them, instead of offering them cash?" she said.
Responsibility to fund FCSS also falls on the province. For years, the city has topped up their 20 per cent contribution of FCSS, Heron said, while at the same time, the province has cut back on their portion of funding.
"When the province doesn't adequately fund something, the municipality picks it up," Heron said. "Should we just do what's required of us and no more, and actually ask the province to step up and fulfil their obligations?"
A city report providing background on Heron's motion stated FCSS programs serve approximately 550 people annually. The proposed cut would reduce that to about 300 youth and young adults annually and the city has suggested it would impact the Family School Liaison Program and the Counselling and Supports program, which are run by the city.
Terry Soetaert, executive director of the Outloud Foundation for LGBTQ Community Supports and Services, said the not-for-profit is "terrified" of facing funding cuts.
"For all the other organizations that are involved that I know, this is basically life and death," Soetaert said. "It's not like we're all throwing parties ... in a lot of cases, especially in ours, it's how we keep kids alive."
The pandemic has made it difficult to connect with youth in the same way they did before, or fundraise without donations and events, Soetaert said. For the first time, Outloud has applied for FCSS funding to hire on two staff members to focus on building relationships with youth and organizations, instead of relying solely on volunteers.
City committees recommended Outloud receive $76,000 of the $155,970 it requested. That will be enough to hire one person and cover some of the cost of rent, Soetaert said.
"If (funding) gets chopped down more, it's going to create a real problem for us," he said, noting rent is a huge cost. "Without that kind of funding, I don't think that we'll really exist in a few years."
Council will begin debating the postponed budget motions on Nov. 24.
