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B.C. takes small steps to help former foster kids
Province's still lags behind Ontario and Alberta despite changes
At least three Canadian provinces improved support in 2014 for youth aging out of the foster care system, an issue that is gaining national attention because of concerns about the dire futures for these vulnerable young people.
But even though The Sun published a series of stories in February about what happens to these youth after losing government care at age 19, there has been a smaller groundswell of activity in B.C.
Powerful voices — such as Vancouver City Hall and the province’s youth advocate — have called for foster care to be extended to age 25, eight post-secondary institutions are now waiving tuition for former foster kids, and non-profit agencies are expanding housing and programs for this group.
The B.C. government has funded some modest programs and pledged to hire 200 more social workers, but has not raised its child welfare budget or followed Ontario and Alberta’s lead by offering comprehensive support past age 19.
In B.C., foster kids lose their social workers and financial payments on their 19th birthdays, leading to high rates of homelessness, unemployment, poverty, substance abuse and incarceration as most struggle to navigate the complicated adult welfare system.
In response to her recommendation to bolster this support on a case-by-case basis to age 25, youth advocate Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond said the B.C. government has told her it can’t do so unless it has more money.
“I think other provinces who are facing straitened financial circumstances have found that this is a wise investment. And I’m disappointed in British Columbia,” she said. “I would have liked to have seen us be able to extend care, because I still see kids going to the homeless shelter, aging out too early, not having the financial support to be able to survive.”
The most significant development in 2014 occurred in Alberta, where the government followed through on recommendations from its youth advocate to raise the age of support to 24.
That province increased its child intervention budget by six per cent, or $42 million, creating a flexible and automatically available program to all youth in care, regardless of whether they are in school.
“It was recognition that we need to help youth to get ready to enter their adult life, and that is part of our responsibility,” said Lisa Shankaruk, a public affairs officer at Alberta’s Human Services Ministry.
Ontario — which already offered government support to age 21, free tuition at all universities, and $500 per month to cover expenses while enrolled in school or training programs — broadened the eligibility for its programs to all former foster youth this year. It also increased the monthly financial payments, is covering dental and extended health, vowed to raise high school graduation rates, and hired 60 new transition workers.
New Brunswick strengthened support a bit and promised to consult with youth advocates when revising its child welfare system, in response to concerns raised by young people who spoke at public hearings about their experiences in foster care. Similar hearings have been held in Ontario, and Turpel-Lafond would like them to take place in B.C. as well.
In Vancouver, the Mayor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Addictions, which included police, health workers and housing officials, released a report in September with a series of suggestions to broaden support for youth transitioning out of care, including the extension of government support up to age 25. This followed a report by City Manager Penny Ballem, which cited youth transitioning out of foster care as a key reason why homelessness has increased in the city this year.
Deputy Mayor Andrea Reimer, who lived on the street as a teen, said these are exciting developments, because policy changes often happen only after leaders get involved in the debate. “It’s not outside voices having to bring that in anymore, it’s the very people who are right at the heart of developing solutions who are identifying it,” she said.
The biggest change in B.C. this year was that eight of the province’s 25 universities and colleges made tuition free for former foster children, with at least three more post-secondary institutions considering similar changes. This program is proving popular. Although the government does not track the number of tuition waiver recipients, it does verify for post-secondary schools that a person is a former child in care. So far, it has processed more than 100 requests for verification.
Jess Boon, a former youth in care who bounced between five high schools and didn’t graduate on time, is at the University of British Columbia this year thanks to its new tuition-waiver program. The 24-year-old kept up with her “intense” studies but has struggled financially since losing support at age 19, and plans to get a part-time job next term to help with her expenses.
Boon would like to become a child advocate, and earlier this month met with officials from the Ministry of Children and Youth to push for better services, such as one-to-one mental health support for former youth in care.
“When you leave care, there is not a lot of support around the emotional stuff that people are going through,” Boon said. “With education and housing, there is lots of work that needs to be done, but the things that I encounter the most are people feeling lonely or struggling with depression or PTSD.”
Unlike in Ontario, the B.C. government does not pay for tuition waivers. The post-secondary institutions forego the tuition they would otherwise receive for these students.
Aunt Leah’s Place, an organization that works to prevent foster children from becoming homeless, has a new program that provides $30,000 in bursaries this year for youth from care pursuing education.
“The No. 1 predictor of whether a person will succeed at school is the expectation from a significant adult that they will succeed,” said Sarah Stewart, the organization’s program director. “That we have a program specifically for their education, signals to them that there is that expectation.”
The provincial government made some investments in older foster youth during 2014. It funded a YWCA pilot program to improve work skills for kids transitioning out of care; boosted services to youth with developmental disabilities; announced the hiring of 200 more social workers; partnered with the Adoptive Families Association of B.C. on U-Count, a survey of young adults who have left government care; and earmarked part of a $62-million provincial-federal rent supplement program for kids aging out of care.
In a statement, The children’s ministry said “ensuring that young people have the appropriate supports in place to transition into adulthood and lead healthy and productive lives continues to be a strategic priority for this ministry.”
The ministry said its forthcoming three-year strategic plan will “contemplate” greater emphasis on transitioning youth and that “themes will include improved continuity, integrity and consistency of supports and services within (the ministry) and across government to better meet the needs of youth transitioning to adulthood.”
One key change made this year by Ontario’s education ministry was a vow to raise the graduation rate for children in care to the provincial average within five years. There is a similar movement in some parts of Washington state. B.C.’s Ministry of Education does not have such a commitment in place, saying only that it is committed to improving the educational outcomes of all children. |
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發表於 2014-12-26 07:03
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