Foster care in Canada

These networks are not connected to the provincial governments *rate per 1000 youth in care **Note: Children with disabilities are eligible for protective services until age 19.

[9] Lastly, In 2017, Bill 99 was introduced as an amendment to the Youth Protection Act of Quebec, bringing the preservation of culture as an important factor in the decision making process for foster children, and stated that whenever possible, Indigenous children will be placed with a member of his extended family or community.

These groups work to find ways to reduce the number of indigenous children taken into the foster care system for racially biased and/or preventable reasons.

[12] While 54% of cases have no child functioning concerns, a wide range of categories for physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioural issues may be exhibited by youth:[6] Many children enter care with bad health; over 90% have medical needs ranging from minor skin conditions to severe neurological disease.

Advice on smoking, drug and alcohol use as well as safe sex practices are most often given only after the child was engaged in such activities.

[13] In a number of studies, youth who have aged out of the child welfare system have spoken of their experiences and highlighted areas where they could have been better prepared for their transition from care.

The transition from care is alluded to as a process that may take many years, not an event triggered by a youth’s 18th (or 19th) birthday.

For youth from the foster care system of the same age, 50% did not complete high school, 50% are unemployed, 60% are pregnant or are an unwed parent (among females), and 30% are on public assistance.