Advocates for youth in government care are calling on the provinces and territories to continue supporting those who are aging out of the child welfare system and trying to make it on their own during the pandemic.
Melanie Doucet, senior researcher at the Child Welfare League of Canada, said vulnerable youth who transition out of foster care or a group home, at age 18 or 19 in most jurisdictions, already experience higher rates of unemployment, homelessness and mental health issues.
"It's almost impossible for them to find a job, and housing is really difficult to come by," Doucet said from Montreal, where she is also a McGill University researcher studying the effects on youth aging out of care during the pandemic.