Topic(s): 
Child Welfare
NBASW-ATTSNB
Youth
Webinar event date: 
Jun 4, 2024 11:00 am EDT
Webinar link

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Webinar Presenters: 
Dr. Melanie M. Doucet, PhD Social Work, MIDST

Dr. Doucet has been working to improve the lives of youth in care for over 15 years. She is a former youth in care originally from New Brunswick, and is now based in the unceded traditional territory of the Mohawk Nation in Montreal, Quebec. She holds a PhD in Social Work, is an expert consultant, an Adjunct Professor at the McGill University School of Social Work and a researcher at the Centre for Research on Children and Families (CRCF). Dr. Doucet is a renowned public and keynote speaker on the importance of equitably supporting youth in and from care from a rights-based and humane perspective, and is an award-winning researcher. Her doctoral research, titled Relationships Matter for Youth ‘Aging Out’ of Care, provided a platform for youth from care to develop child welfare research, policy and practice recommendations based on their lived experience expertise. She continues to work as part of provincial, territorial and national youth in care advocacy communities on child protection policy and practice reform initiatives, and is currently leading the Equitable Transitions to Adulthood for Youth in Care project alongside the National Council of Youth in Care Advocates, with the support of the Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC).

Description

Youth in Care Matter: Examining the experiences of youth ‘aging out’ of the Canadian Child Welfare System during the COVID-19 Pandemic  

The COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-economic upheaval associated with the pandemic have exacerbated the already precarious situation of young people exiting care. This research project aimed to examine the supports perceived by youth who 'aged out' of care as crucial to their successful transition to adulthood during the pandemic. Using a qualitative mixed methods approach, the research incorporated arts-based creative submissions from participants, accompanied by one-on-one follow-up qualitative interviews to further contextualize the creative works and inquire about expectations, needs, barriers and strengths of the participants’ transition to adulthood in a pandemic context. A total of ten youth between the ages of 18 and 22 from across the country participated in the study, with 60% identifying as female. Interview transcripts were thematically analyzed to identify common and individual themes emerging from the experiences of the participants. Nearly all youth identified having their basic needs being met as one of the major strength factors during their transition to adulthood in the pandemic context. Nearly all participants expressed they were not getting sufficient supports from their agency and the Ministry for their transition to adulthood due to restrictive eligibility criteria. Over half of participants expressed that the move to virtual and phone appointments impacted the quality and accessibility of services, and increased their sense of isolation. Recommendations focused, amongst others, on youth-centered and realistic independent living programs, better organization of pandemic strategies and transparent communication and more empathy from workers. 

This webinar is intended to help professionals learn about and engage with:

  • The experiences of youth ‘aging out’ of care in a pandemic context and their artistic submissions (paintings, drawings, poetry);
  • Strengths and barriers to a successful transition to adulthood; and
  • Concrete recommendations for social work policy and practice.