Bridging support

The mother of a 17-year-old Indigenous youth with complex special needs sought our help, concerned that her son was about to lose his residential placement. She said he was turning 18 in a month, and no plan had been created to transition him to adult services. With no other options, the mother relinquished custody to a children’s aid society (CAS) even though there were no protection concerns. The CAS covered the cost of a residential placement, but additional funding for respite workers was needed.

Result: We raised this case with multiple agencies, leading to the CAS securing additional federal funding through a First Nations Child and Family Services program that supports youth transitioning to adult services. We also brought the case to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services, resulting in the youth being transitioned to a supported living arrangement. Following our inquiries, the Ministry initiated a review of its transition planning for Indigenous youth receiving federal funding for adult services. We continue to monitor the progress of this review.