National Research Collaborative for Foster Alumni and Higher Education (NRC-FAHE) Webinar Series Announcement

“Many youth in the child protection system abruptly lose support from the State when they reach the age of majority, regardless of their readiness or emotional and financial needs. In Canada, this is due to provincial and territorial legislation that mandates child welfare agencies to release youth from their care at the age of majority. This pattern of aged-based service removal leads to traumatic transitions to adulthood and negative outcomes for youth exiting care, including a heightened risk for homelessness, poverty, undereducation, and mental health issues. COVID-19 and the socio-economic upheaval associated with the pandemic exacerbated the already precarious situation of young people in and from care in the country.

In March 2020, First Voice Advocates and key allies from across Canada joined forces to advocate for moratoriums on transitions from care during the COVID-19 pandemic; as a result, many provinces and territories issued temporary moratoriums or emergency measures allowing youth to remain in their placements and/or continue to receive supports past the age of majority. These measures opened up opportunities to re-think the transition to adulthood for youth in care in a more equitable way as we enter a phase of pandemic recovery. Drawing upon past Canadian reports as well as the expertise of youth with lived experience from across the country, Dr. Doucet and the National Council of Youth in Care Advocates developed the Equitable Standards for Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care. These standards provide long-term solutions to support youth in care across eight transitions to adulthood pillars. The overarching goal is to ensure that youth in care are afforded the same standard of support and opportunities for success as they transition to adulthood as their peers who are not in the child protection system, while also recognizing the inherent traumatic impact of child removals and separation from families of origin. The Equitable Standards aim to ensure that every youth in care receives equitable level of supports and services no matter where they live in Canada. This presentation will provide an overview of the Equitable Standards, with a particular focus on the transition to adulthood pillar #2: Educational and Professional Development to provide insights on how to equitably support young people from care who are pursuing higher education.”

Please join us for the National Research Collaborative for Foster Alumni and Higher Education (NRC-FAHE)’s webinar series! This series features presentations from leaders in the field of foster care and higher education. Content will be appropriate for researchers and practitioners alike. The February webinar will be held Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 11am-noon Pacific time (2-3pm Eastern time). The presenter will be Dr. Melanie Doucet, Adjunct Professor at McGill University School of Social Work and Senior Researcher & Project Manager, Child Welfare League of Canada, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her presentation is entitled Equitable Standards for Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care: A Canadian First Voice Advocate-led initiative.

February Webinar Registration Link:  https://wsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEtc-CgqTIjHdHmZQj5xqey42tunI2_cILA