Jessie's Centre for Teenagers is a multi-service resource for pregnant and parenting teenagers who are eighteen years old or younger, and their children. We have developed a variety of programs and services to meet the special needs of young families throughout the City of Toronto.
Intended as a model agency, Jessie's delivers its services through a combination of staff, volunteers, collaboration with community agencies and a proactive profile regarding issues affecting young parents and their children. A 15-member community Board of Directors governs Jessie's.
Jessie's is located in downtown Toronto between two of Toronto's largest public housing projects - Regent Park and Moss Park. Although many teenage parents who live in the area use Jessie's, a greater number of teens travel from all over the city to attend programs.
Jessie's Centre occupies the first two floors of a six-story building owned by Jessie's. The remaining four levels accommodate 16 two and three bedroom apartments, which house a mixture of teen families and older parents. This housing is intended to be permanent and all units are subsidized according to the tenant's income. The day-to-day operation is handled by a non-profit housing organization that practices a philosophy of tenant involvement in the management of their housing.
