Blogs

French to follow / en français suivra In the context of child welfare, relational permanence  refers to lasting, meaningful connections with supportive adults and peers who remain present beyond formal care arrangements. These relationships are extremely vital for youth in care, as stable, caring connections are among the most important protective factors for emotional well-being, identity development, and resilience during the transition to adulthood. Youth who are able to m

French to follow / en français suivra Cheyanne Ratnam lives a very busy life. In her professional life, she works as an Assistant Project Manager for Spotlight Child Welfare , a journalism collaborative, is a consultant (Ratnam Consulting and Services), and a Psychotherapist (Registered Social Worker). In addition, she has contributed to improving the child “welfare” system and interconnected systems in Ontario as a co-founder of the Ontario Children’s Advancement Coalition (

French to follow / en français suivra Why Lived Expertise Matters in Advocacy  Advocating for youth in and from care is constant, essential work. It requires challenging biases and misconceptions, reforming policy, and building systems that truly support young people as they transition to adulthood. But too often, advocacy is done for  youth rather than with them leading the way . When youth are not meaningfully involved in policy discussions, programs risk reproducing system

French to follow / en français suivra When people think about advocacy, they often imagine policy papers, statistics, petition campaigns, and proposals. While these tools are important, they do not always capture the lived realities behind the numbers. Art goes further: it helps people feel  the issue, not just understand it intellectually.  In the context of youth in care, art strengthens connection to culture, community, and identity by creating space for expression, belong

French to follow / en français suivra Having a place to call home is something many people take for granted. For youth leaving care, housing is often far from guaranteed. While 62.6% of Canadian young adults  continue to live with their parents well into their twenties, youth in care are expected to become self-sufficient at the age of majority or shortly thereafter, due to an arbitrary cutoff age  in child protection legislation. This means they must leave their placements t

French to follow / en français suivra Living in PEI, Delia has built a dream life for herself. With a 25-year marriage and three beautiful daughters, she is surrounded by a loving, supportive family. She is also blessed with a career of more than two decades in Child and Family Services, where she finds fulfillment in by helping others. She has had a huge impact on numerous youth in care and young people transitioning into adulthood, from doing meaningful youth engagement and

Post-secondary education can be a powerful pathway to stability, meaningful employment, and long-term well-being. It allows young people to build skills, gain credentials, and imagine a future with greater choice and security. For youth in care, however, accessing and completing post-secondary education is often shaped less by academic ability and more by accessibility and whether the right supports are in place. Youth in care face systemic barriers that most students never h

In Canada, reaching the age of majority (18 or 19, depending on the province or territory) is meant to signify the start of emerging adulthood. This phase of life typically sees a gradual transition to adulthood, supported by family, friends, community, and safety nets. However, for young people in the child welfare system, this milestone often represents a very different turning point. They frequently ‘age out’ of the system and face a sudden and permanent loss of care and

In this second entry of the Thriving Beyond Care series, Ember shares how she rebuilt her life after aging out in Alberta, showing how stable housing, community, and meaningful support made thriving possible.

Dr. Melanie Doucet shares her powerful journey from growing up in care to becoming Executive Director of NCYICA. Her story shows how lived experience leadership is transforming child welfare and creating better supports for youth aging out of care.

French to follow / en français suivra When most people think about “child welfare” or “child protection”, they often picture headlines about crisis, abuse, or tragedy. Media narratives carry real power: they can either deepen stigma or spark empathy and policy change. As an organization led by people with lived experience, the National Council of Youth in Care Advocates (NCYICA) believes media representation must be trauma-informed, accurate, and centred on the voices of peop

myths-vs-facts-breaking-down-misconceptions-about-youth-in-care-canada-ncyica French to follow / en français suivra  Across Canada, thousands of children and youth involuntarily grow up in government child protection systems due to experiencing abuse and/or neglect, and are placed in out-of-home placements such as foster homes, group homes or kinship placements. Yet, despite their traumatic experiences, youth in care are often unfairly stereotyped. At the National Council of

No young person should be denied care and support due to their age. The NCYICA is dedicated to changing how Canada manages transitions out of care. We advocate for policies that reflect the real pace of growing up, recognize the impact of trauma on the development of youth in care, and ensure equitable supports that follow young people into adulthood, so they have a fighting chance to grow into healthy and fulfilled adults.

French to follow / en français suivra  The National Council of Youth in Care Advocates (NCYICA) believes that no young person in care should be left to navigate adulthood alone just because they have reached the age of majority. Yet across Canada, this is still a reality for many youth in care - they must ‘age out’ of their placements at 18 or 19 (or in some jurisdictions , between the ages of 21 and 27) , due to arbitrary age cut-offs in child welfare policies and legislatio

French to follow / en français suivra The fifth year for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR) just passed - a day in remembrance of the Indigenous children who never came home from Residential Schools, the Residential School survivors, their families, and their communities. The truths of what occurred in the Residential Schools are still being learnt by many across the country through this day and other events throughout the year. “Every Child Matters,” the co

French to follow / en français suivra Across Canada, many young people in care are expected to become fully independent before they have what they need to succeed. Too often, youth transition out of care without stable housing, financial support, access to health and wellness services, or meaningful connections to culture, community, and support networks. The Equitable Standards for Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care  were created to change that. These Standards lay o

French to follow / en français suivra The National Council of Youth in Care Advocates is proud of the progress and accomplishments that have been made in the last year. Through our voices and actions, we will continue to fight for a more equitable future for youth in/from care in the years to come. Here are the ways in which we strive to make a difference:  Using Our Lived Experience to Promote Meaningful Change No one understands the lived realities of youth in care better t