At 18, the State Abandons Its Children: It’s Time to Act

“He was let down,” wrote Coroner Julie-Kim Godin in her report on the young man’s death.

Our president, Mélanie Gagnon, could not remain silent in the face of this damning verdict against the youth protection system. “As president of the Fédération des familles d’accueil et ressources intermédiaires du Québec, I can only support it, because we see it, we live it, and we’ve been speaking out against it for far too long,” writes Ms. Gagnon.

This situation is not an exception. And it is even more deplorable for young people from kinship foster families, because when the state places a young person with a family member, it places a responsibility in their hands that often comes with no resources, no adequate training, and no real support. And when the DPJ concludes that the child no longer needs protection, the case is closed, and these families are left on their own to continue supporting the child. When the child turns 18, the thin social safety net that existed disappears… because the directive stipulating that a youth in foster care can receive services until age 21 if they continue their studies is applied very arbitrarily.

The rights of a child in foster care should not depend on the type of family that takes them in, the region where they live, or their report card. When the state removes a child from their biological family, it assumes responsibility for them. And that responsibility does not vanish with a snap of the fingers at midnight on the night they turn 18.

You can read Mélanie’s open letter by following this link