A Liberal cabinet minister was left defending a decision that could see the temporary closure of an office dedicated to providing youth services come December.

That’s the Integrated Supports for Yukon Youth (ISYY) office in Whitehorse Health and Social Services (HSS) Minister Pauline Frost confirmed yesterday.

“ISYY is currently open – the closure will not occur until the comprehensive plan to back up our youth supports is currently in place and the services are in place,” Frost vowed in the legislature.

A department spokesperson verified this morning that a plan to finalize the closure and how to support youth during that period – so how to ensure that the services offered at ISYY are still offered elsewhere during the temporary closure – was set to wrap up in the next few weeks.

That would have made the anticipated closure date of late December.

The office acts as a one-stop shop for access to government services, and traditionally was open after regular business hours by serving Tuesday to Saturday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., its site notes.

It is dedicated to those aged 12 to 24.

The HSS spokesperson, Clarissa Wall, confirmed this morning the hours had been shifted to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. about a week ago.

That was at the request of staff and youth who used their services, she said, as most were visiting in the hours of the early afternoon.

Currently, there are about 15 youth who have ongoing cases at the office, not including drop-ins, which have declined since ISYY opened in 2016.

Wall also explained that because a backup plan to still maintain open services during the temporary closure is still being finalized, the government did not want to make a formal announcement so as not to worry youth.

As the department undergoes engagement with youth, First Nations and NGOs, it will determine where to reopen the office during the temporary move and the extent to which staff and services will be impacted.

“There is clearly a place for government service delivery,” Wall wrote this morning, noting work is still ongoing to determine these details.

She was able to confirm, though, that the closure itself is planned from late December of this year to about the spring of 2019.

That may change as per discussion with partners, she added, but those are the plans as of today.

But Yukon NDP MLA Kate White explained in the legislature Tuesday she’d already heard from community members who were worried about the negative impact of what was on the horizon.

“It looks like the government is shutting the door on them,” she said. “And these are the very same young people leaving the care of this government with no place to go.”

It is those youth transitioning out of care that the move is being considered in the best interest for, Wall suggested.

“We want to take an opportunity to refocus and improve the program – find out what’s important, what’s not working.” Part of that will include how ISYY fits into the larger picture of the department in supporting youth.

The closure is something being considered thanks at least in part to a recent report done by investigator Pamela Costanzo.

That was sparked by a CBC North investigation into allegations of mistreatment at government-run group homes, two of which have since been found to have merit and eventually saw Frost deliver a formal apology to those involved.

“What we have learned through the Costanzo report was that we needed to focus on supports for youth transitioning out of care,” Frost reiterated yesterday.

White retorted that providing more justification for the decision would go a long way for transparency as well.

“We would like this minister to share the report of assessment that says that this service is no longer needed,” she added.

A summary by investigator Costanzo detailing some recommendations was provided to media in September for background but the report in its entirety has not been made public.

Much like Frost, Wall also pointed to the territory’s new group home at 22 Wann Rd., bought last May for $1.1 million, as another way the government is planning on “meeting the needs of vulnerable youth in the best way (possible).”

That group home was purchased with the intention to help particularly those aged 19-plus as they transition out of care.

It is not expected to be open until mid-next year as it will be first undergoing renovations – the exact cost of which is unknown, but early forecasts pegged it between $500,000 and $1 million. The tender for that renovation bid is to close Nov. 28.

Meanwhile, Wall added that the department is currently developing the “backup plan” that would have figured out a way to transfer some of those services elsewhere.

“We hadn’t planned to announce it until we announced a backup plan,” she said. “That’s why we don’t have dates confirmed yet.”

She also pointed out the closure itself would be temporary, and work was being done on the backup plan to ensure youth would not be “shut out”.

For her part, the minister hinted in the legislature that the temporary closure of the site should not necessarily come as a surprise.

“Keep in mind that ISYY was put in place as a temporary opportunity for supporting youth,” Frost said. “That temporary initiative and program was designed to be just that.

“Now we are looking at what to do with it now that the funding and the program was to conclude last year.”

The ISYY office began as a two-year pilot project after opening in August 2016.

“We have extended it another year and we are tying it into the plan that better aligns with the service needs of the children that we have in care,” Frost explained.

Wall confirmed that as of today, the office remains open with two staff: one social worker and one outreach worker.

This is not the first time the site has been in the news this year. The location was the subject of scrutiny after HSS officials temporarily closed the office this summer.

That saw officials come in, close the blinds and send workers home for a couple of days in June, citing trumped-up heating and plumbing issues, the Yukon Employees’ Union said at the time.

That was in stark contrast to what the Public Service Commission had told the union, referencing an internal human resources investigation.

A spokesperson for HSS had since apologized and chalked it up to a “miscommunication” at that point, admitting it was indeed closed for an HR investigation.

Meanwhile, thanks to the ISYY office, youth are able to learn things like how to access housing, get social assistance and search for work (among other things).

Its site also notes that the office hosts a receptionist, two family support workers and a social worker, which have since been reduced to just a couple of staff.