The provincial government announced $50,000 in funding for Steinbach’s Headway Program because of it’s incredible success.

The Headway program connects various social service agencies, including the RCMP, Hanover School Division, and Addictions Foundation of Manitoba to support at-risk youths and their families.

Headway Program Coordinator Brenda Brown says their system has an 85% to 95% success rate in helping kids turn their lives around and just last month they were able to close six files. She says this provincial funding is a sign that the success is being noticed.

From left to right: Minister Kelvin Goertzen, Headway Program Coordinator Brenda Brown, Minister Heather Stefanson, and Manitoba RCMP Commanding Officer Scott Kolody"We actually didn’t apply for provincial funding, this came a surprise and I think what has happened is that there has been some attention because of the success rate of Headway, people are finding out about it and that is why the province is getting behind us is because the proof is in the pudding."

The Manitoba Attorney General and Minister of Justice Heather Stefanson says the Headway program is the type of incredible organization they are looking to support.

"We are looking for results as a government and this is a program that has only been in place for a little over two years but it has had incredible results for people in the community and those are the types of organizations that we will continue to invest in."

Assistant Commissioner Scott Kolody is the Commanding Officer of the Manitoba RCMP. He says the RCMP deal with at-risk youth on a law enforcement basis often and it is exciting to be more involved in the preventative side.

"RCMP officers have a really special place dealing with youth and trying to get them in the right direction and sometimes we don’t have all that support. When you get a program like this that comes together and you get the cavalry coming in and working altogether, our youth will have a place to go."

Brown says this provincial investment gives them a stability they have never had before. She notes now if they lost funding from other sources they would still be able to continue on and at least wrap-up work with their current clients. She adds it will also allow them to focus on the work at hand rather than be worried about funds.