The Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is seeking further donations for their COVID-19 crisis support fund after receiving over 2,100 applications from former youth from care, the majority of which sought emergency assistance to pay for food and housing.
Former youth from care age out of child welfare systems and start living independently at 18, meaning they’re no longer eligible for the assistance they received while in foster care or group homes and they don’t have permanent families to support them. The pandemic has amplified the difficulties faced by these young people, says the Children’s Aid Foundation, with 93 per cent of applicants seeking emergency funds for food and housing. Of those that applied, 40 per cent also asked for financial assistance to pay for mental health counselling and therapy during the pandemic. The applicants, many of whom are working to address underlying mental health issues related to childhood trauma, reported heightened feelings of fear, isolation and anxiety, according to the foundation.
“The pandemic has propelled youth who have ‘aged out’ of child welfare into a state of crisis and we are concerned that many of them are falling through the cracks,” said Valerie McMurtry, president and CEO of the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, in a press release. “We have been fortunate to receive incredible support from our donor community but we are looking to raise more emergency funds for former youth from care who need urgent assistance during COVID-19.”
The Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada was overwhelmed by demand when they opened applications for the crisis support fund, receiving over 2,000 applications in the first 48 hours. The 2,107 former youth in care who applied to the support fund in early April ranged in age from 18 to 30, with 83 per cent of applicants aged 18 to 25. Of those who applied, 34 per cent were in school and 46 per cent were unemployed.
The need expressed by applicants led the foundation to continue its emergency fundraising campaign, aiming to get more funding into the community as quickly as possible through youth-serving agency partners and through direct support to young people in need. The foundation has raised $1 million in matching contributions from its community of donors so far. The Ontario government also contributed $500,000 to the campaign along with up to $1 million in matching contributions for new donations.
“We know COVID-19 has put pressure on all Ontarians, and nothing is more important than protecting the health and well-being of those in our province, especially former youth in care,” says Jill Dunlop, associate minister of Children and Women’s Issues, in a press release. “We recognize the positive impact Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada is having on former youth across the province and our government is proud to support this initiative.”
To help support the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada’s COVID-19 Crisis Support Fund, visit the foundation’s website.
