Red Deer, September 2, 2008 - Bob Mills, Member of Parliament for Red Deer, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, today announced support for the Central Alberta Refugee Effort Committee (C.A.R.E.) and Catholic Social Services (CSS) for the delivery of settlement and integration services to newcomers in Red Deer, Alberta.
The funding, totalling $1,082,071, will go towards settlement services such as language training, interpretation and translation, skills improvement, advice and guidance, general information and public awareness education. Language training and help learning essential skills are important settlement services that help newcomers integrate more easily into their new communities. Approximately 300 newcomers to Red Deer will benefit from these services.
"Prime Minister Harper and our Government are committed to helping newcomers all over this country as they make new lives for themselves and their families," said Mr. Mills. "Their successful integration will create new and exciting opportunities for them, strengthen their new community in Red Deer and Canada as a whole."
"The Central Alberta Refugee Effort, in partnership with Catholic Social Services delivers programs and services designed to help newcomers deal with complex challenges, learn essential skills, establish supportive connections, and provide an atmosphere of acceptance and a sense of belonging in their new community. This makes their settlement in Canada a positive process," said Veena Chandra, Executive Director of C.A.R.E. "Our services have expanded in response to the growth in immigration and this funding support enables us to deliver these vital services to the benefit of the whole community - culturally, socially and economically."
Working together, C.A.R.E. and Catholic Social Services provide newcomers with an atmosphere of acceptance and a sense of belonging in their new community. C.A.R.E. has been delivering all settlement services to newcomers in the area since 1979.
Settlement services are an essential part of the federal government's immigration program. Since 2006, the federal government has begun investing an additional $1.4 billion over five years in settlement funding to provinces and territories outside of Quebec, which receives annual funding through a separate agreement. For 2008-09, Alberta will be receiving over $47 million in basic settlement funding. This is an increase of over $16 million over 2007-08.
Newcomers can also look to the Foreign Credentials Referral Office (FCRO ), which helps internationally trained individuals find the information they need to get their credentials assessed and recognized more quickly. The FCRO was established in 2007 to provide information, path-finding and referral services to help internationally-trained individuals use their skills in Canada. There are now 320 Service Canada Centres across Canada offering in-person foreign credential services to newcomers.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada funds a number of programs that help newcomers settle, adapt and integrate into Canadian society. These programs are delivered in partnership with provinces, territories and service-providing organizations and include the Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program, which provides orientation, referral services, advice and guidance; Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada, which provides basic language training for adults; and the Host Program, which helps newcomers connect with volunteers who help them access services, establish contacts in their field of work and participate in the community.
For more information on CIC programs, please visit www.cic.gc.ca.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Tim Vail
Press Secretary
Minister's Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Ann Lawler
Director, Communications
Prairies and Northern Territories Region
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
204-984-7814
