Achi news desk-
A recent study by the Quebec government says young people who have been in the care of the province’s youth protection authorities are less likely to graduate high school or be employed than their peers.
The study, conducted by researchers at several universities in Quebec, found that only 37 percent of youth in care had graduated from high school by the time they turned 21, compared to 86 percent of all Quebecers.
It found a third of the 21-year-olds who were in care were not employed, in school or in a training program, compared to less than 10% of all Quebecers of the same age.
The researchers say that unstable living environments, such as changing placements within youth protection, make it difficult for young people to keep a job.
Jessica Cote-Guymond, director of the People in Care Collective, says children are placed in an average of five to nine different residential settings while in the youth protection system.
She said the research shows that resources are needed to help young people transition into adulthood as they age without care.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 21, 2024.
