Advertisement 1

Six young adults died within nine months in 2018 while transitioning out of provincial care

Article content

Six young adults died within nine months of each other in 2018 as they transitioned out of the care of children’s services, says the province’s child and youth advocate who is now calling for change.

The report — A Critical Time: A Special Report on Emerging Adults Leaving Children’s Services Care — spotlights the fact that all those affected had been receiving services through a Support and Financial Assistance Agreement (SFAA).

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

In addition to the six young adults who died in those nine months, the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) responded to 102 young adults who “requested advocacy assistance for difficulties related to SFAAs.” Many of their difficulties were similar to those of the six individuals who died: identified in the report with the pseudonyms Star, Joel, Alex, Morgan, Ian and Jenny.

Article content

SFAAs are offered by children’s services to young adults between 18 and 24 years old and provides help with living expenses, accommodations, training, education, medical coverage and other services.

Child and youth advocate Del Graff examined the supports and services available to those entering adulthood. The office travelled throughout the province to listen to young adults and those who work with them, says the report, made public Monday.

Six dead

The report details the lives of Star, Joel, Alex, Morgan, Ian and Jenny and how the system failed the young adults during the nine-month period in 2018.

Four of the six young adults were identified in the report as Indigenous. Each of the six individuals were diagnosed with mental health issues that worsened as they entered emerging adulthood. Many struggled to find supports to address their mental health and substance use.

Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

All six struggled with belonging, isolation and maintaining healthy, safe connections and were impacted by family violence. Many were sexually abused or exploited by people they knew — several belonged to gangs.

Most of the six young adults had periods where they did not know where they would live or find their next meal. Some of them survived by committing crimes or were sexually exploited.

Star, Alex and Morgan died from drug poisoning. Jenny was involved in a collision where she died at the scene. Ian died from suicide, while Joel’s death could not be determined as intentional or accidental.

Recommendations

The age of 18 to 24 years old is a critical period of development, stresses the report. Young adults exiting children’s services may not have the same supports and natural family connections as someone who has not been through the system.

“In 2014, legislation was changed to extend SFAA age eligibility from 22 to 24 years old. This change was the result of the recognition that there was a gap in service provision for this age group,” the report states.

“There are significant milestones and developmental tasks that need to occur for young people during this critical period. They need support and guidance to help them become successful adults.”

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content

The report states there are minimal policy and practice guidelines for how to support young people in this age range.

“Emerging adults need the professionals involved with them to understand the unique characteristics of this stage of development and how early exposure to trauma makes it even more difficult to be successful.”

The first recommendation the report makes is for the department of children’s services to improve policy and practise guidelines, and to provide training and time for staff to support young adults as they move through emerging adulthood.

The second is to have children’s services clearly outline the supports and services young adults are entitled to receive under a SFAA and they should be connected to adult services, as required, before their SFAAs end.

The third recommendation is for the department to provide young adults with access to adequate and safe housing options.

“Supporting young people as they enter adulthood is essential because this developmental stage lays the foundation for the rest of their lives,” stated Graff.

“For this reason, they must be supported to learn the skills they need to be healthy, contributing members of society.”

Advertisement 5
Story continues below
Article content

Changes coming to SFAA program

The report comes at a time when the government has decided to lower the age of qualification to 22 from 24 for the SFAA program. About 480 people in the program will age out when the rule changes next April. Graff alludes to this change in his report.

“I understand there will be changes to SFAA legislation in the upcoming year. Effective support is critical for young people as they move through transitions in early adulthood,” Graff stated.

“I expect my recommendations in this report, along with relevant recommendations made in other reports, will be acted on to improve services for Alberta’s young adults.”

Children’s Services Minister Rebecca Schulz said the government’s data showed there was a “natural drop off” of young adults accessing SFAA at the age of 22 and her government will be reviewing the program as a whole to determine if there are any needed policy shifts.

“No matter what age that transition happens, what we have to look at is whether or not that transition is happening smoothly,” said Schulz.

Schulz said she agrees with the intent of the recommendations and the ministry will meet with OYCA to learn what those changes will look like.

The Opposition NDP called on the government to reverse its decision to drop the age requirement.

Opposition critic for Children Services Rakhi Pancholi said she had learned through the government’s website two young people had died by suicide in the last 11 days as they were transitioning out of government care.

“We believe that this speaks to the vulnerability of the young people who are transitioning out of care and into adulthood” said Pancholi.

With files from Dylan Short

ajunker@postmedia.com

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Latest National Stories
    This Week in Flyers