Youth Justice Services Funding Program (YJSFP)

Overview

In Canada, the federal government and the provincial/territorial governments share joint responsibilities for youth justice. The federal government is responsible for criminal law (including the Criminal Code and the Youth Criminal Justice Act – YCJA) while the provinces and territories are responsible for its administration, including the provision of youth justice programs and services. The federal Youth Justice Services Funding Program (YJSFP) is a cost-shared contribution program with all provinces and territories for the delivery of youth justice programs and services.

Who is Eligible

Only provinces and territories are eligible for federal youth justice services funding. This funding is not provided to individuals or groups. You should contact your provincial or territorial government for information about specific youth justice services programs.

Objectives

The YJSFP provides all provinces and territories with an annual financial contribution totaling nearly $185M (2021-22 to 2026-27) to assist in the delivery of various programs and services that target youth who come in contact with the criminal justice system. These programs and services aim to protect the public by:

Activities

Priority funding areas as aligned with the YCJA include:

Points to Consider

The federal government has provided financial support to the provinces and territories in responding to the needs of youth who come in contact with the criminal justice system under various names, for many years. Prior to 1984, under the Juvenile Delinquent’s Act (JDA), funding was provided through the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP). Under the Young Offenders Act (YOA) in the mid-eighties and nineties, funding was provided under the Juvenile Justice Services Program. Today, the YJSFP aligns federal spending to priority areas consistent with the objectives of the current youth justice legislation, the YCJA.

In addition to the YJSFP, additional federal funding is provided to the provinces and territories for youth who commit violent offences with mental health needs. Please see the Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision Funding (IRCS) Program .

Sustainable Development

The Department of Justice encourages you to submit all documents electronically. If you submit documentation on paper, please consider printing on both sides of the paper. These actions will minimize environmental impacts.

Contact Information

For further information, please contact:

Youth Justice Services Funding Program

Programs Branch, Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0H8
Or electronically to: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca
Or by phone at: (613) 941-4193
Or by fax to: (613) 954-4893