From Government Care to Adulthood: Why it’s Important to Provide Youth Support
Youth in the process of aging out of government care face immense pressure and barriers in their journey to adulthood. YWCA Strive provides a holistic approach to support youth in this transition, through a 6-week employment program with a curriculum curated to provide workplace and life skills.
On leaving care homes, youths are suddenly faced with many expectations and responsibilities without the support that a 19-year-old with a stable support system would usually receive. These include finding housing, employment, acquiring food and preparing meals, all whilst planning long and short-term life goals. Some participants are also primary caregivers and are responsible for a minor themselves. Combine this with the potential traumas they have experienced, it is essential that these youth have support whilst transitioning from government care.
According to the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, of the youth experiencing homelessness in Canada, 58% reported some type of involvement with child protection services in their lifetime. Additionally, youth who are ‘aging out’ are nearly 200 times more likely to experience homelessness compared to their peers. This data is abundantly evident in the youth that participate in YWCA Strive who are often in transition homes, group homes, or shelters when our team meets them. Barriers they face include finding affordable housing, ensuring food security, finding professional counseling services and mental health support, access to cultural supports, access to transportation, locating and paying for child care, financial security and so much more. Often, these youth do not have nurturing communities and resources to support their transition to adulthood and do not receive fair and equitable opportunities to succeed.
YWCA Strive program facilitators understand the trauma associated with the child welfare system and the impact that it can have on youth transitioning out. The program utilizes a trauma-informed approach to ensure that we are meeting participants exactly where they are at. Those who come through the YWCA Strive program have an immense amount of lived experience that enables them to be positive contributors to society, but only if the right support is provided. YWCA Strive prioritizes a wrap-around service delivery model to acknowledge the intersectional barriers that are present and allows them to define success on their terms. The program staff is incredibly proud of the youth that we serve and look forward to witnessing their growth and success.
YWCA Strive has benefited significantly from a generous contribution from Mischa Weisz Foundation, a committed community partner to the YWCA since 2014. Mischa, who sadly passed away in 2009, possessed a keen desire to improve the lives of others and left a legacy through his foundation to make the world a better place by helping youth facing barriers receive support and training to reach personal and economic independence. This funding supported our ability to provide weekly food support to cohorts, professional counseling at no cost to participants and financial reprieve through our Clean Slate Debt Relief program.
YWCA Strive is a holistic life skills and employment program to support youth ages 17-24 who are transitioning or have transitioned out of care. Registrations are accepted on an ongoing basis. To learn more, visit ywcavan.org/strive.
