In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are asking you to take a stand with all youth who are in care and those who have aged out of care. Many of these youth are missing crucial support in this health crisis.
We are worried the “cliff” is more quickly approaching for our siblings and peers in and from care. Meaning the needs of children and youth from child welfare are being neglected during and after the time of COVID 19.

Youth in care networks and many allies are concerned for the well-being of these young adults, many of whom live in very precarious situations.

- The Child Welfare League of Canada published a joint release with a national ask

- Ally Darian Newell wrote a piece that you can use to prompt your local government to join us in rallying support for these youths.

- We wrote a letter to Minister Conroy of Child and Family Development with calls to action.

We highlight issues of:

• Ineligibility to Agreements with Young Adults, Employment Insurance, and survival supports
• Food scarcity and food in-affordability 
• Loss of professional supports (mental health and recreation centers)

 We know that social and financial costs will be immense if youth from care are undeserved especially during but also after this pandemic, and we call on the government to protect and implement effective measures for due safety and health at this time.

We want you to sign our petition now
Show your support of youth in care in British Columbia in relation to receiving support they deserve in the COVID19 health emergency.

On April 11, we heard official youth transition stats from Ministry of Children and Family Development representatives. They told us that 87% of eligible, post-19 youth from government care are not accessing MCFD Agreements with Young Adults (AYA) services. AYAs are the primary way MCFD supports the 1000 youth who age out of care every year. It tells us that the program intervention the government has relied on for years is not working.

Premier Horgan told us that the government is working on an action plan: let's ensure it's comprehensive.

Decision makers are listening and it's time for us to act. On Thursday, April 12, Premier John Horgan responded on behalf of six ministries to our policy asks made on October 24. He made a commitment to "expand and improve supports to youth transitioning from care through the development of an action plan to be created by the Cross-Ministry working group." 

It's government-speak, but represents a milestone for the youth-in-care community. We successfully nudged the creation of a cross-ministry task force dedicated to achieving better outcomes.

We know that better outcomes come from comprehensive, evidence-based policy, and that youth must be included in planning. Youth from care are experts in understanding policy impacts. This expertise is essential to creating a successful action plan.

Please sign our call for a comprehensive action plan

"Premier Horgan, it's essential that bold changes are made for youth from care after 19. In your mandate letter to Minister of Children and Family Development Katrine Conroy, you said that you expect substantive progress in funding increases to Agreements with Young Adults "in order to offer supports to all youth aging out of care who need it, not just a few." Your Cross-Ministry action plan must ensure:

1. Guaranteed, consistent, and adequate financial support until age 25 through the Agreements with Young Adults program, eliminating all eligibility criteria.
2. Government and youth from care advocates come together before the fall legislature to hear youth input and explore universal AYA policy development."