Research has consistently shown that transitions from public institutions or systems are common pathways into homelessness for young people. Young people are typically not in charge of when they exit such systems, and this timing is often arbitrary and does not take account of developmental needs, life skills and other personal assets, as well as structural factors such as the cost of housing, low paid and part-time work and age discrimination.  As a result, many young people in these situations will experience housing precarity, poverty, nutritional vulnerability and lack of safety. They may also struggle to reintegrate into community, reconnect with social supports, and re-engage with education, employment, or training and are not adequately supported to live on their own.

While youth can experience great challenges when exiting in-patient health/mental health care or corrections, this section will focus on perhaps the biggest challenge: youth leaving child protection. 

Youth Leaving Child Protection

Young people who are removed from their families by child protection services and taken into care as wards of the state (including foster care, group home placements, or youth custodial centers) will ultimately leave care. Most of them end up "aging out" when they surpass the maximum age for support from child protection services (18 or 19, depending on the jurisdiction). However, it is becoming more common to offer ongoing financial assistance.

The world has changed dramatically since child protection systems were first established. Housing costs have skyrocketed, and well-paying jobs for young adults without higher education have become scarce. As a result, very few young people at this age have the resources or experience to live independently.

Failure to adequately prepare and support youth to exit state care has become a major contributing factor to homelessness. While only 0.3% of Canadian youth are estimated to have had some involvement with child protection, research shows that 57.8% of youth experiencing homelessness have had such involvement, with 47.1% having a history of placements in foster care or group homes. Additionally, over 70% of Indigenous youth and 63% of 2SLGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness in Canada have been involved in the child welfare system. 

Due to policy and practice challenges, there's a growing movement to reform child protection systems. The aim is to improve outcomes for young people and their families and prevent homelessness. Solutions include raising the age of leaving care, rethinking exits based on readiness rather than age, and offering aftercare supports like housing, income assistance, and tuition waivers.

Equitable Standards for Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care

The Equitable Standards for Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care report was co-developed by the Child Welfare League of Canada, the National Council of Youth in Care Advocates and young people with lived experience of child protection and homelessness. It sets out 8 standards that governments and service providers should follow to ensure youth in care are supported in healthy transitions to adulthood.

This framework can be used as a guide to transforming child protection services in a way that reduces the risk that youth aging out of care will become homeless.

Reforming child protection legislation and policy

One of the most promising attempts at child protection reform in Canada has been taken by the Province of British Columbia’s Ministry of Children and Family Development and Indigenous Child and Family Service, which introduced its “Strengthening Abilities and Journeys of Empowerment” (SAJE) program in 2023. The legislation provides a broad range of supports for youth leaving care until their 27th birthday.  If well implemented, these reforms will become a model for other jurisdictions in Canada and abroad.

Community-based interventions

In Toronto, Ontario, StepStones for Youth's "Building Connections" program focuses on supporting youth exiting care “in developing a strong network of caring people that they can depend on for life”. Rather than have young people depend on professional supports, this program helps them exit care to overcome social exclusion by developing a sense of connection and belonging in a community of their choice. Young people are supported to obtain housing and to increase attachment to school. Connections are then made and supported by people who care about them. Supports can include strengthening family connections, engaging in mediation and building key relational life skills including dealing with conflict, and improving communication and impulse control. Youth are also connected to other mentors such as teachers, coaches and other meaningful adults in their lives.

Indigenous approaches to transitions from care

Prevention of youth homelessness can also include stopping youth from being apprehended by child protection in the first place, especially by settler or non-Indigenous led child protection services. For Indigenous Peoples this can include providing culturally appropriate family and community supports, including trauma informed supports and healing for entire communities and families.

The Omamoo Wango Gamik Program, operated by NiGiNan Housing Ventures in Edmonton, Alberta, is a 42-unit, Indigenous-led housing initiative developed to support Indigenous youth leaving care. It aims to bring families together to create a sense of community for residents who previously lacked strong family connections.

Content adapted from the forthcoming paper “Towards the Prevention of Youth Homelessness” by Stephen Gaetz, Erin Dej, Kaitlin Schwan, Cathy Fournier and Amanda Buchnea.