A Comprehensive Action Plan

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:

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

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Showing 430 reactions

Melinda heans signed 2018-04-18 23:12:13 -0700
Anita Haidar signed 2018-04-18 21:33:44 -0700
Katherine Henson posted about this on Facebook 2018-04-18 20:34:55 -0700
Sign the petition: A Comprehensive Action Plan
Katherine Henson signed 2018-04-18 20:34:34 -0700
Natalie Buchmann signed 2018-04-18 20:13:48 -0700

I work in public education and I have family members who have been and are in foster care. My niece aged out at 19. She was in no way ready to be on her own, managing her own life. The complete lack of supports and the complete lack of responsibility of the ministry shocked me, both as her aunt, and continually, as a public school teacher. This needs to change. It is not enough to only offer foster kids support if they go to post secondary. I will not be abandoning my own children at the age of 19. Why does the ministry abandone children at the age of 19. My niece became pregnant and homeless shortly after she left ministry care.
Catherine Pyson signed 2018-04-18 19:41:05 -0700

Removing the age cap on the educational funding will provide better results both short and long term. Many youth aging out of care are not in a position to immediately start school, especially after living through abuse and trauma of the system. By making youth able to treat their health and get into a healthier frame of mind, you are enabling them to have success.
Gale Stewart signed 2018-04-18 19:06:43 -0700
Kristi Collins signed 2018-04-18 18:35:58 -0700
Hanna Jarrett signed 2018-04-18 17:26:37 -0700
Shannon Dolton signed 2018-04-18 16:46:21 -0700