Hispanic Development Council
Consejo de Desarrollo Hispano
42 Years Building Together 👪 42 Años Construyendo Juntos

Youth Program

What is the Youth Program?

The youth program of the Hispanic Development Council (HDC) was initiated in 1994 to serve the Hispano/Latin youth, their families and their communities. As time passed and the HDC’s expertise grew, it extended its services to other communities, namely the Afro-Caribbean, Asian, South-Asian, and Eastern European.

Working with youth is very important for Luis Carrillos. According to his own opinion doing this work he is at his best although sometimes this work is delicate in that it involves dealing with troubled youth. Despite the challenges, he has dealt with many critical situations which have been resolved in a satisfactory way.

The How to...Handbook

A comprehensive and supportive guide for parents, guardians, and foster parents (target groups) with adolescent children, concerned on finding solutions to problems as a way of preventing youth crime, keeping the family together, and maintaining safety in the communities. Download it here.

General Objectives

1.  To provide parents with education, knowledge, understanding and henceforth empowerment so that they take preventive and proactive actions in order to eliminate the anguish and fear of critical situations caused by youth gang membership, violence or crime on the well being of the family;

2.  To foster social inclusion of young people in the cultural mosaic of Canadian society through positive strategy building to deal with cases related to youth violence;

3.  The How to...handbook will provide parents, guardians, and foster parents with adolescent children with ideas, suggestions, approaches, methods, and service referrals of how to;

4.  Read the signs of their children becoming involved in youth gangs, full fledged gang activity, or runs around with "unsavoury" acquaintances;

5.  To detect when the adolescent is either experimenting or using alcohol, marihuana, or other drugs;

6.  React and deal with the adolescent's back talk, mood swings, sassy responses, anger and violent outbursts;

7.  Understand and accept the fact that adolescents establish boyfriend/girlfriend relationships based on their own feelings;

8.  Comprehend the Legislation on youth and the legal language used by the police and the Court System;

9.  Nurture supportive family relations and systems so that the adolescent feels secure while growing up;

10.  Instill self-esteem to their children no matter their social, economic, and cultural background;

11.  Access to appropriate services for any given problem related to their adolescent children as the need arises;

12.  Gang slang glossary of terms

The Homelessness prevention Program

To prevent homelessness among the Hispanic youth who are experiencing economic hardships. Especially those who have communication problems with their parents at home.

To promptly attend emergencies of domestic violence, or of impending homelessness as a result of parents


evicting the youth, or the youth leaving home.

1.  To increase awareness on the youth if the risks of homelessness;

2.  To improve the opportunities for immigrants and refugees in Canada;

3.  To decrease the risk of danger or harm to Hispanic street youth.


Peaceful Community equals Neighbourhood

1.  To provide participant youth with methods, skills, and abilities to deal with the differences and rivalries in a non-violent manner, and at the same time to learn to accept themselves;

2.  To develop youth abilities to network and establish links with other youth, the community, stake holders, and families;

3.  Peace, harmony and safety in the community;

4.  Violence and crime prevention of youth by providing the participant youth with the necessary preventative skills;

5.  To foster positive interaction between Hispanic youth and youth from other cultural backgrounds and their communities.

Youth Gangs Community Intervention and Mentorship

By unifying the efforts of the youth (gang members and non-gang members), parents, and community in general in seeking solutions to problems, will reduce the impact of gang activity in our target community.

Project Objectives

1.  To reduce conflicts, and violence among youth implicated in youth gang activities by involving community participation on solution seeking actions;
    
2.  To work on changing the notion among youth that violence is the only alternative to problem and diference of opinion solving. Hence, the need to work with youth who are not involved in youth gangs, but can be affected;

3.  To promote partnerships aimed at creating positive interaction between youth, the neighbourhood, their families, and stake-holders in order to bring peace in the community;

4.  To develop a comprehensive strategy and measures for gang members, their families, and the community thus establishing a strong network and partnership to foster safer communities;

5.  To assist parents, families, and community to understand the reasons for youth to get involved in gangs, and how to support them to find a way of existing.

Copyright © Hispanic Development Council, Toronto, Canada - 2021
1280 Finch Avenue West, Suite 203, North York, Ontario, M3J 3K6
416-516-0851
A Non-Profit Agency Founded in 1978
Incorporation # 484773