Joanna Conrad

05/12/2026

We’re honoured to be featured in today’s paper as we launch an exciting new chapter for Youth Diversion. 📰✨

Thanks to the support of our community and partners, we’re expanding our work to better support children, youth, and families across Windsor-Essex through prevention, intervention, and meaningful family engagement.

This is more than a program expansion—it’s an investment in stronger families, healthier communities, and brighter futures for young people.

Thank you to everyone who continues to believe in this work. The best is yet to come. 💛

05/12/2026

Sometimes the impact of this work is best told by the people who’ve lived it.

This comment stopped us in our tracks.

Every young person deserves the chance to learn from mistakes, change their path, and move forward without being defined by one moment.

This is why Youth Diversion exists.
To hold youth accountable. To support families. To create second chances before a criminal record becomes a life sentence.

Thank you to our community for sharing stories like this and for believing in early intervention. 💙

05/09/2026

05/09/2026

04/16/2026

I had the opportunity this morning to speak on a radio segment about youth social media bans and online safety.

It’s a complex issue—and one that deserves more than a simple solution.

While the idea of banning social media for youth may sound effective in theory, early results from places like Australia suggest otherwise. Many young people are still accessing these platforms, just in different ways—often with less supervision.

That raises an important question:
Are we solving the problem… or simply shifting it?

In my work with youth and families, I see firsthand that the issue isn’t just access—it’s how young people are navigating these spaces.

There is no switch that flips at 16 that suddenly makes a young person “ready” for the online world.

If we want to meaningfully reduce harm, the focus should be on:

-Supporting parents with tools and guidance
-Building digital literacy and resilience in youth
-Holding platforms accountable for how they engage young users

Technology isn’t going anywhere. Our approach needs to reflect that.

Sharing the interview clip below—curious to hear others’ thoughts on this.

Kyle Horner is joined by Joanna Conrad from Youth Diversion to talk about what this could mean for families.

03/28/2026

We’ve known for years these platforms are addictive—especially for kids.

Parents are being asked to manage something incredibly powerful, often without support. What we’re seeing at home—tantrums, tears, constant conflict—isn’t just “screen time”… it’s the impact of platforms designed to keep kids hooked.

Hopefully, these landmark decisions don’t just hold companies accountable—but also give parents the confidence and backing to say no.

03/04/2026

I had the opportunity to speak with CTV News about something we’re seeing more often with youth — digital spending that feels invisible until the bill arrives.

From gaming purchases to online subscriptions and buy-now-pay-later services, many young people are making financial decisions long before they fully understand the consequences.

That’s why we developed Money Smarts for Life, a hands-on program that helps youth and young adults build real-world financial skills — from budgeting and credit basics to avoiding scams and managing money under stress.

Financial literacy isn’t just about numbers.
It’s about confidence, decision-making, and independence.

Grateful to partners like RBC and our community supporters who recognize that prevention and education give young people the tools to succeed.

Watch the interview and read the story below.

03/03/2026

Expanding access to an important conversation.

Today I recorded a studio version of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of Social Media & Your Kid.

Over the past several years, I’ve delivered this presentation live to schools and parent communities across our region. The demand continues to grow — and not every community can host an in-person session.

Recording a professional webinar allows this conversation to reach more families, more boards, and more communities — while preserving the integrity of the content.

These issues aren’t going away.

And neither is the need for informed, practical digital parenting leadership.

Looking forward to sharing the finished version soon.