Founded in 1993, Yorktown Family Services (YFS) works to help youth and families to create positive change in their lives. It is a community hub in Toronto's Jane and Finch neighbourhood. This is one of the poorest and traditionally under-served concentrations of new Canadians in Ontario. 60% of YFS's clients are new to Canada and 70% live in single parent families. YFS clients are referred by local schools, doctors, probation officers, and Children's Aid. In April 2018, Yorktown's two operating charities, Yorktown Child and Family Centre and Yorktown Shelter (a women's crisis shelter) merged. YFS’s programs focus on providing supports to youth and families. The charity’s main programs are Violence Against Women, Infant Child and Family Services, and Youth and Young Adult Services. In F2021, 3,275 people participated the charity’s programs. 

YFS’s Violence Against Women program accounted for 39% of program costs in F2021. The program operates a shelter for women and their children who are fleeing abusive relationships. It also provides support and information to women through counselling and referrals. YFS reports over 75% of women receiving service are visible minorities, immigrants, refugees, and women without status. In F2021, the shelter had 10,195 nights of accommodation for 30 women and 39 children. This is a decrease over 34 women and 50 children sheltered in F2020. 47% of residents remained in the shelter between 6 and 11 months waiting for subsidized housing to become available. 

Infant Child and Family Services received 31% of program spending in F2021. The program aims to help families with children through counselling services, parent training courses, and partnerships with child welfare agencies. In F2021, 817 counselling sessions were provided to 447 clients. 23 clients also received psychiatric assessment and consultation in F2021. 

Youth and Young Adult Services accounted for the final 30% of program expenses in F2021. The program aims to support at risk youth in the community through counselling, support groups, mentorships, and substance abuse and violence prevention programs. Most of the program activities operate out of West Toronto Youth Hub, a central location for other local community groups and partners. 728 clients were served through the program in F2021, including 361 youth and their families who were connected to services by youth outreach workers. 

In April 2020, Yorktown Family Services launched a Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) program. Within is the sub-program Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA). ETA aims to counter extremist ideologies online through training health professionals and clients. In F2021, 629 professionals were trained on P/CVE related topics.  

Yorktown Family Services has donations of $1.6m in F2021. The charity received $5.2m in government funding, representing 77% of total revenues. Its fundraising and administrative costs (reported on a combined basis) are 9%. For every dollar donated, 91 cents go to the cause. This is within Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.   

Yorktown Family Services has $798k in funding reserves. The charity could cover 14% or almost 2 months of annual program costs with current reserves. 

This charity report is an update that has been sent to Yorktown Family Services for review. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.  

Updated on January 27, 2022 by Brenleigh Jebb and Kate Bahen.