Education and employment

Children and youth in and from care have a right to education. They need support to help them achieve their full educational potential from elementary school through to post-secondary education, training and employment.

Short-term recommendations

It is essential and urgent that...

• ...children and youth in and from care are supported to participate fully and successfully in elementary and secondary school.
  • children's aid society workers connect children and youth with educational supports (e.g. tutoring) as soon as they need or request them
  • building on the success of the Crown Ward Education Championship Teams, the ministries of Children and Youth Services and Education require children's aid societies and school boards to work together to develop Student Achievement Protocols for children and youth in care that will address:
    • guiding principles and common expectations to make sure that children and youth in care are treated fairly and supported in their educational goals in ways that do not stigmatize them
    • providing supports, including transportation, to allow children and youth to stay in their schools of origin when their residence changes if this is the best option for them
    • enrolling children and youth promptly when they must change schools with required documents (including their Ontario student record, transcripts and Ontario Education Numbers)
    • transitioning into and out of Section 23 classrooms^{footnote 6[6]}
    • Tracking the educational achievement of children and youth in care

• ...caregivers demonstrate the importance of school success to children and youth in care and support them to meet their full educational potential.
  • Caregivers follow best practices in promoting student success, such as setting goals and expectations and creating supportive study environments.
  • Children and youth have access to study space (e.g. a desk and quiet space) and the technology that they need to participate fully at school.
• ...teachers and school staff are knowledgeable about mental health, emotional health, social, cultural and educational challenges that children and youth in and from care may face and are able to connect them to appropriate programs offered in the school and the community.
  • Teachers receive training on supporting children and youth in care in university and through ongoing professional development.
  • Children's aid societies and schools work with their Crown Ward Education Championship Teams to share information.
• ... youth in and from care and their teachers, workers, and caregivers have information about options and supports for post-secondary education, training and apprenticeships
  • Post-secondary and training institutions and youth from care can provide presentations to children's aid societies, schools, and Section 23 classrooms on options for post-secondary education, training and apprenticeships.
• ... youth in and from care and their teachers, workers and caregivers have ongoing discussions about career plans and options starting from an early age.
  • Youth are supported to explore and pursue their career goals through formal and informal mentorship, internships, part-time work, job shadowing, educational supports and other programs.
  • Youth receive financial and other supports to pursue the careers that interest them. Children's aid societies and their foundations adopt broad criteria for programs offering financial support for training to cover the full range of traditional and non-traditional careers that interest youth.
  • Children's aid societies work with local youth-serving and employment agencies to connect youth to employers in their fields of interest.
• ... the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities make the Ontario Student Assistance Program application process as easy and accessible as possible for youth in and from care.
  • The ministry work with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to simplify the Ontario Student Assistance Program application process.
  • Ontario Student Assistance Program funds are made available as quickly as possible at the beginning of each academic term.
• ... Aboriginal children and youth have access to distinct and culturally appropriate educational supports in their communities
  • If attending school away from home, youth are supported to remain connected to their communities and culture (e.g. through an Elder).

Medium-term recommendations

It is essential and urgent that...

• ... youth in and from care have access to increased financial supports for post-secondary education that allow them to attend school part-time or to take more than four years to graduate
  • The ministry work with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to extend eligibility for the Ontario Access Grant for Crown Wards (available to youth eligible for Extended Care and Maintenance) to part-time students and students beyond their fourth year of study.
  • Children's aid societies, the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and post-secondary institutions work together to provide increased financial support for youth in and from care.
  • The ministry work with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to clarify the Ontario Student Assistance Program eligibility of former youth in care who are studying out of province.
• ...children's aid societies partner with businesses, trade associations, and youth-serving community agencies to provide meaningful work experience/internship opportunities for youth in and from care