Taking the Next Step

The SIL program was developed to facilitate the transition between living with a family or in a group environment and functioning independently.

Youth are provided with supports both financially and emotionally to begin the process for community living start-up. This includes monthly rent, weekly groceries and personal needs allowance, transportation funding and other approved expenses. Daily telephone contact, weekly support contacts sessions, emergency 24 hr contact, school attendance monitoring, and shopping support are integral parts of the SIL Program.

SIL Service Provision

Caseworkers, should be prepared to accept the mistakes that the youth will make (and they will make lots of them) and should use them as learning opportunities.

Supported Independent Living (SIL) services will encompass a broad range of community and agency services available to prepare youth to live independently as young adults. SIL program services are viewed as an expansion of the Youth's Permanency Planning Program and these services are tailored to fit a Youth's individual needs and circumstances. Youth are viewed as being important participants in their independent living planning.

There is recognition of each youth's need to build a supportive network of both adults and peers as they approach the time of leaving care, or where they have already rejected care providers, so that they will not live in isolation as young adults. SIL staff provide the support to 'bridge' the transition.