YouthCAN

Our younger children benefit from the day-to-day care and support of foster parents. CAS workers work collaboratively with the foster parents to ensure that all of the children's developmental, emotional and educational needs are addressed.

As youth transition toward independence they lose that daily support and the role of the CAS worker changes. These youth need emotional support, counselling and assistance with the many practical challenges of everyday living.

When a youth brings a request or a query to us, our job is to respond by asking ourselves "what would a good parent do?" Our Child in Care team assists our youth in searching for and setting up apartments, providing assistance with moving and storing furniture, providing advocacy with landlords, education planning and other services. We try to ensure that our youth are able to participate fully in special opportunities and occasions that are available to them.

When children in care are unable to move on to independent living, careful planning and coordination is required to ensure that they transition to other supportive adult services.


Recently there has been an initiative in Ontario to give youth in care a voice in the care and supports offered to them. Lanark CAS is an active member of the Ontario Youth Communications and Advocacy Network (YouthCAN).

About YouthCAN

Mission

The Ontario Youth Communications and Advocacy Network, as the unifying voice for Youth in Care, is dedicated to improving the quality of care for youth in Ontario's child welfare system so that they are empowered, secure and able to realize their full potential.

Goals of YouthCAN

• to identify and advocate for the needs of youth in care in Ontario
• to provide input and feedback to interested organizations who are researching programs that affect youth in care
• to provide support to youth in care in Ontario to provide youth with the opportunity to develop, strengthen, and evaluate services

At YouthCAN's First Annual Conference: Setting up for Survival Success on June 5, 2007, youth representatives of Ontario's Crown Wards presented the issues they believe still need to be addressed and ideas on what it will take to ensure that the Ministry of Children and Youth Services and Ontario's CASs act like "good parents."

The recommendations from youth in the care of Ontario's Children Aid Societies were developed during the weekend conference with one question in mind: "What would a good parent do?" The recommendations are grouped in four areas: Raising the age of eligibility to 25, Emotional Support, Financial Assistance and Educational Support. Youth presenters who gave their recommendations to an audience of 400 people including the Minister of Children and Youth Services and representatives of Ontario's Children's Aid Societies are quoted below.

Raising the Age of Eligibility

One of the main recommendations is to increase the age of eligibility for service from 21 to 25 years of age. Extending the age to 25 is imperative in being able to support youth financially, emotionally and educationally.

• "You want to set us up for success but how are we able to do this when we are not given adequate support and time when it really matters!
• "In average Canadian families, youth are remaining at or returning to home until age 27, according to Statistics Canada, while we as youth in care are forced to become fully responsible for everything at age 21! Why is this? We NEED more time!"

Emotional Support

Youth identified emotional support of their social worker as critical to their survival and success.

• "We need more worker time, not less. Decreased caseloads for staff working with transitional aged youth is necessary as transitioning into independence requires additional support and the extra involvement from people who are important in our lives."
• "Treat us like your own kids. We want you to call us and do the little things that can really make us feel that we are loved and have unconditional support, even after we turn 21."

Financial Assistance

Many youth living on their own without family support rely on their monthly living allowance from their Society for their basic living needs. Youth recommended:

• Annual review of living allowance to be adjusted to the cost of living.
• Ministry to increase the minimum living allowances for Crown Wards across the province, which was last set in 1994.
• Training for youth in planning and budgeting.

Educational Support

Youth identified several measures that will help them achieve their academic goals, including support for:

• Educational assessments for those attending post-secondary education.
• Books ($500 per semester) if in post-secondary before 21.
• Tuition subsidy (half of tuition if attending school before 21).
• Application fee for university/college.
• Summer employment within a Children's Aid Society.

For more information, please visit www.ontarioyouthcan.org