Newcomer youth access to recreation in Toronto

Participation in out-of-school-time recreational activities offers benefits to newcomer youth experiencing the challenges of settlement, including opportunities for newcomer youth to make friends and build support networks in their new country, to practice English, to maintain good health and cope with stress, and to foster leadership and employment skills. [...] Findings Youth, parents and service providers identified the following key barriers and facilitators to newcomer youth participation in recreation: Barriers Both parents and youth identified high fees and related costs, such as cost for uniforms, equipment, field trips and insurance, as a significant barrier to participation. [...] Recommendations We recommend that recreation service providers undertake a variety of changes that can: Build relationships and strategies that more effectively link newcomer youth to programs Ensure programs and staffing are developed to be more relevant to newcomer youth Increase availability of appropriate youth programs Invest in service strategies that erase economic barriers to progr [...] A literature scan was conducted to inform the project and was used to help develop the parent consultation guide and the youth focus group guide. [...] Some parents are unfamiliar with the extracurricular activities the place and my mom that are offered outside of their ethnic communities, and are uncomfortable likes to garden and she sending their children to them.