Two young men living in a tent had a clear path to stability. They had family support waiting for them in their hometown. They only needed one thing. They needed a bus ticket.

The provincial Social Development Department refused to buy the tickets because the young men did not meet specific program criteria. A local nonprofit organization stepped in and bought the tickets instead.

If you live in Saint John, you know how vital local community groups are to our neighborhoods. This story sits at the center of a new report from New Brunswick Child, Youth and Seniors Advocate Kelly Lamrock. He wants the provincial government to cut red tape and treat community organizations as trusted partners. According to a recent CBC News report, Lamrock argues that less government control and more support for nonprofits saves public money.

“Public servants work in a world where you can spend thousands keeping someone in crisis, but you can’t spend five dollars to get them out,” Lamrock writes in his report.

A New Approach to Social Services

Lamrock presented his findings at the Atlantic Social Impact Exchange Summit in Dieppe. His report outlines a new relationship between the government and the community sector. He recommends creating a cabinet level nonprofit opportunities unit. This office identifies social priorities, like reducing emergency room visits or preventing youth mental health crises. The government then partners with community groups to achieve these goals through social entrepreneurship contracts.

These contracts focus on outcomes rather than micromanaging how organizations deliver programs. Lamrock envisions a system that knows when to act quickly. Progress tracking happens through a shared outcome platform, and the government publishes the results annually. Successful programs save public money by reducing the need for crisis services. Unsuccessful programs lose their contracts.

Making the Community Sector Feel Seen

The report also demands consistent multiyear funding for community organizations and fair compensation for frontline workers.

Haley Flaro serves as the executive director of Ability New Brunswick. She says the report makes the sector feel seen. She notes it highlights the vital stories that nonprofit workers rarely have time to tell.

Former minister of health and social services Dorothy Shephard agrees. She points out that community organizations deliver results daily but lack full government support. Lamrock expects a collaborative approach from the government regarding these systemic changes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main recommendation of Kelly Lamrock’s report?

The report recommends the New Brunswick government create a cabinet level unit to partner with nonprofits and offer outcome based multiyear funding contracts.

Why is the report called Buying the Ticket?

The title comes from a real situation where the government refused to buy bus tickets for two homeless youths due to strict criteria. A local nonprofit stepped in and covered the small cost to get them home to their families.

How does this approach save public money?

Empowering nonprofits to act quickly prevents vulnerable people from remaining in expensive crisis situations. This reduces the long term financial burden on public services.