Released on April 1, 2015
Premier Brad Wall today appointed Kelvington-Wadena MLA June Draude as his new Legislative Secretary responsible for Social Impact Bonds.Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are funding arrangements between governments, private investors, and service providers. Under these arrangements, government sets a specific social outcome, acquires the money to achieve that social outcome from private investors and commits to pay the investors a pre-arranged sum if and only if the service provider achieves a desired outcome in a set period of time.
“Thanks to June Draude’s work when she was Social Services Minister, Saskatchewan is already home to Canada’s first Social Impact Bond - the Sweet Dreams project in Saskatoon, launched last year,” Wall said. “Sweet Dreams is already showing positive results and we want to explore ways to expand that model further. June is the right person to lead this initiative.”
Draude will explore options for further social impact bonds partnerships in Saskatchewan. She will not receive any additional remuneration for these added duties.
“Social Impact Bonds are near and dear to my heart,” Draude said. “Launching Canada’s first Social Impact Bond right here in Saskatchewan was a highlight of my career. I look forward to helping spread the Social Impact Bond model to help more families and communities.”
Under the Sweet Dreams SIB agreement, EGADZ will receive $1 million from private investors to provide a supported living home for at-risk single mothers and their children. Participating mothers will live at the Sweet Dreams home with their children and will receive support to complete their education or secure employment, or for pre-employment activities such as life skills and parenting classes. The ultimate goal of this program is to transition the mothers and their children back into the community and to keep the family unit together during and after the program.
Since Sweet Dreams opened in June of 2014, the project has housed 14 mothers and 20 children. Some of the positive results to date include:
- All 14 mothers have enrolled in education to complete Grade 12 or secondary education;
- Three have completed the Early Childhood Development Diploma program, with two participants having secured employment in day cares and one as an Educational Assistant on reserve;
- Four have successfully continued on to independent living;
- Two have been reconnected and transitioned to healthy family; and
- Six mothers and six children currently reside at Sweet Dreams.
The Sweet Dreams project is expected to result in savings to the Government of Saskatchewan of between $540,000 and $1.5 million over five years. These savings are based on the cost of children in care of the minister of Social Services. This figure does not include any other potential savings related to health, criminal justice and any future social assistance.
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For more information, contact:
Kathy Young
Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-0425
Email: kathy.young@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-526-8927