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 357 reactions

Kari Bepple signed 2018-06-19 09:27:23 -0700
Jenna Dales signed 2018-06-19 09:24:01 -0700
Shari Monsma signed 2018-06-19 09:05:11 -0700

What about the grandparents who are raising their grandchildren, how do they fit into this. My grandson is now almost 23 years old and wants to go back to school but I cannot afford to pay for this. He lived with me since he was 11 years old and after 18 no support, we did get him graduated. I also have another grandchild I have had since he was 2, we need to change laws to support these children’s education after 18. The child in care of relative monies are low and there is much financial stress put on those who choose to raise their grandchildren and keep them out of foster care.
Gloria Lorenzen signed 2018-06-19 08:29:26 -0700

Our youth are our future. We as adults are responsible for helping them to grow up to be healthy in mind, body and spirit.
Sue Olson signed 2018-06-19 08:24:29 -0700
Jessie Comfoet signed 2018-06-19 08:21:46 -0700
Sarah Alexander signed 2018-06-19 07:37:57 -0700
Joey Fearon signed 2018-06-19 06:42:38 -0700
Marla Britton signed 2018-06-19 06:26:14 -0700
Quin Kung signed 2018-06-19 05:59:33 -0700
Diane Kehoe signed 2018-06-19 04:21:27 -0700

I know that there are a number of young adults who were never in permanent care but because of a parent’s illness spent many months in care by agreement over the years from the time they were little until they were 18. These young people have had many disruptions in their lives and although they were able to live with a parent some of the time, in actual fact, some of them were in care longer than others who actually became permanent wards. These young people often end up looking after a parent with a serious illness after they legally become adults, so in many ways they become the parent of their own parents.

These young people willingly take on their family responsibilities but their ability to get on with their educations, their work, and developing relationships with their peers are often severely hampered. These young adults should also be considered for ongoing support when they have aged out of care. They often depend on the relationships that they have made with social workers and foster parents even after they are no longer eligible for supportive care due to their age.
Fiona Old signed 2018-06-19 04:19:36 -0700
Wendy Beavon signed 2018-06-19 00:48:03 -0700

Wendy Beavon
Susan Stout signed 2018-06-19 00:46:25 -0700
allan Thornley signed 2018-06-19 00:39:11 -0700
Tara Shushtarian signed 2018-06-18 23:55:46 -0700
Jean Lawrence signed 2018-06-18 23:31:59 -0700
Ursula Baer signed 2018-06-18 22:30:33 -0700

Ursula Baer
Valerie Evans signed 2018-06-18 22:18:46 -0700
Ray Scullard signed 2018-06-18 22:13:05 -0700
Jennifer Charlesworth signed 2018-06-18 22:06:01 -0700
Kerri Wall signed 2018-06-18 21:27:55 -0700
Shannon Biancofiore signed 2018-06-18 21:16:38 -0700

I am a youth in care currently but aging out in a month. I think this would make a hugely positive impact and help a lot of youth transitioning into adult hood get proper support and help while becoming an adult instead of just having them live on the street without the support.
Judy Storr signed 2018-06-18 21:12:20 -0700
Ken Beckett signed 2018-06-18 21:11:11 -0700
Donna Williamson signed 2018-06-18 21:02:23 -0700
Ashley Milner signed 2018-06-18 20:51:35 -0700
Trudy Goulet-Jones signed 2018-06-18 20:24:29 -0700
Ursula Kernig signed 2018-06-18 20:16:38 -0700
Rebecca Hurwitz signed 2018-06-18 20:15:41 -0700