British Columbia’s Representative for Children and Youth strongly supports a report issued today by Fostering Change, calling on the B.C. government to ensure that a basic package of support is
put in place to help youth as they transition out of provincial care.
Opportunities in Transition: An Economic Analysis of Investing in Youth Aging out of Foster Care says a relatively small investment in the approximately 1,000 youth who leave care at the age of 19 each year is not only the right thing to do, it is also a sound economic decision. The report estimates that it would cost government about $57 million annually to adequately support youth between the ages of 19 and 24, compared to the current cost of “adverse outcomes” for them, estimated at more than $220 million.
