MCFD Reporting Portal
Case Data and Trends
Children & Youth with Support Needs
Child and Youth Mental Health
Protection Reports
Services to Children in Need of Protection
Permanency for Children and Youth
Post Transition Supports
What We've Spent and Where
How We've Performed
Post Transition Support for Children & Youth
The transition from youth to young adulthood – or from one service to another – is a challenging time for all individuals, but it can be particularly difficult for children and youth in care (CYIC), those with special needs or mental health challenges, or those who are part of our youth justice (YJ) system.
5.36 Youth Discharged from Care and Subsequently Claiming Income Assistance (IA): Expected to Work within Six Months of Aging Out
The ministry assists and supports the transition to adulthood for any child in Care who turns 19 years old. Among desired transitions is employment, further education or training. Moving to IA when "Expected to Work" is not a desired outcome (this differs to receiving entitled disability benefits 'Person with Disabilities (PWD)'). This is an indicator of how effectively the ministry prepares youth to transition to adulthood.
CYIC that Went on to Claim IA1,2
As at March 31, 2019
1 "-" Indicates no CYIC aged out of care.
2 "*" Indicates Service Delivery Area (SDA) data suppressed where there are fewer than 10 former CYICs.
CYIC Claiming IA
CYIC Expected to work within six months of discharge from care.
Over the last several years, the overall provincial rate of youth in Care turning 19 and claiming IA: Expected to Work has typically varied between 6% to 19%.
CYIC that Went on to Claim IA or Persons with Disabilities1,3
CYIC Claiming IA or PD within six months (up to March 2019)
2 "*" Indicates data suppressed where there are fewer than 10 former CYICs.
3 These numbers do not add to the total (271) because CYIC may access more than one type of support.
While the percentage of youth that age out and access IA but are Expected to Work is an indication of youth that have not effectively transitioned to adulthood, the former youth in Care may also access other income supports from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction's BC Employment and Assistance programs. Of the 46% of youth that accessed any IA or PWD supports within six months of aging out (they may access more than one type of support in the six months from aging out) almost 82% of the youth accessed PWD assistance. PWD assistance is an income and asset tested income support program for adults with severe mental or physical impairment that is likely to continue for two or more years, which significantly restricts daily living activities continuously or periodically for extended periods resulting in the need for assistance/supervision.
Youth expected to work after discharged from care, and subsequently claiming IA
The above graph shows the rates of accessing IA: Expected to Work within six months, 7 to 12 months, and 19 to 24 months of aging out. The rates for a specific month display the rates on IA: Expected to Work at the various time periods for the same group of CYIC age outs. For example, the rates at March 2012 show for youth that aged out of care between April and September 2011 the rate of youth that accessed IA: Expected to Work within the next six months (up to March 2012); the rate the same group of April to September 2011 age outs accessed IA: Expected to Work within 7 to 12 months after aging out (up to September 2012); and the rate the same group of April to September 2011 age outs accessed IA: Expected to Work within 19 to 24 months after aging out (up to September 2013).
While the rate of youth aging out from Care and accessing IA: Expected to Work within six months has hovered around 9% to 17% in recent years, the rate of youth accessing IA: Expected to Work from 19 to 24 months after aging out falls by approximately five percentage points.
5.56 Youth Who Claim IA: Expected to Work within Six Months of Aging Out of Youth on Youth Agreements (YAGs)
The ministry assists and supports the transition to adulthood for youth under a youth agreement (YA) that turn 19 years old. Among desired transitions is employment, further education or training. An undesired outcome is youth who turn 19 years old and claim IA benefits with the expected to work designation. This is an indicator of how effectively the ministry prepares youth to transition to adulthood.
YAGs that Went on to Claim IA 1,2
1 "-" Indicates SDA data where no youth aged out of Youth Agreements.
2 "*" Indicates SDA data suppressed where there are fewer than 10 YAGs.
YAG Claiming IA
Youth who turn 19 while on a YAG are expected to work.
Since September 2012, the rate of youth aging out of Youth Agreements and claiming IA: Expected to Work within six months has shown some variation, fluctuating between 8% and 19%. Over the last twelve months, to March 31, 2019, this indicator averaged 10%.
YAG that went on to Claim Income Assistance or Persons with Disabilities1,3
Up to March 31, 2019
CYIC Under a YAG who turned 19 years old between April and September 2018
1 "-" Indicates no youth aged out of Youth Agreements.
2 "*" Indicates data suppressed where there are fewer than 10 YAGs.
3 These numbers do not add to the total (242) because YAG may access more than one type of support.
While the percentage of YAG that age out and access IA: Expected to Work is an indication of youth that have not effectively transitioned to adulthood, YAG may also access other income supports from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction's BC Employment and Assistance programs. Of the 21% of youth that accessed any IA or PWD supports within six months of aging out (they may access more than one type of support in the six months from aging out) 29% accessed IA: Temporarily Excused from Work and 42% of the youth accessed PWD assistance.
PWD assistance is an income and asset tested income support program for adults with severe mental or physical impairment that is likely to continue for two or more years, which significantly restricts daily living activities continuously or periodically for extended periods resulting in the need for assistance/supervision.
Rate of YAG Claiming IA
The rates on IA: ETW in the table above are for the same cohort of former youth with a YAG over different time periods since aging out. For example, the rates at March 2012 show for youth that aged out of YA between April and September 2011 the rate of youth that accessed IA: ETW within the next six months (up to March 2012); the rate the same group of April to September 2011 age outs accessed IA: ETW within 7 to 12 months after aging out (up to September 2012); and the rate the same group of April to September 2011 age outs accessed IA: ETW within 19 to 24 months after aging out (up to September 2013).
5.57 Young Adults Transitioning Out of Continuing Custody (CCO), or YA, that Receive Financial Assistance through the AYA Program
A strategic priority of MCFD is to ensure young adults formerly under CCO or YAs successfully transition to adulthood and receive the services and supports that they need to lead healthy and productive lives. The AYA program provides supports and services to finish high school, learn job skills from a vocational program, attend college or university – or complete a life skills or a rehabilitative program.
The AYA program was expanded from October 2016 by increasing the duration of support from 24 to 48 months and the age limit from 24 years to the 26th birthday. A further expansion to the program became effective April 1, 2018 by raising the maximum age limit to the 27th birthday the funding by approximately $250 per month; and the payment months from eight to twelve to cover summer breaks. This period is not included in the analysis below
Proportion of Young Adults Transitioning Out of CCO or YA that Receive AYA Assistance1,2
The mapping of the Service Delivery Area is based on the office a young adult aged out from
1 "*" Indicates SDA data suppressed where there are fewer than 10 young adults.
2 "-" Indicates no youth aged out of CCO or Youth Agreements.
Of the 854 young adults who aged out from CCOs or YAG from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018, 34% received at least one AYA benefit payment within twelve months. For the province and the majority of SDAs, there was relatively greater proportion of Non-Indigenous young adults on an AYA benefit than for Indigenous young adults. Vancouver/Richmond SDA has the greater uptake to the AYA program across all SDAs in the province.
Proportion of Adults on AYA Benefits
Aging out of CCOs or YAGs
Receiving at least one AYA payment within 1 year of aging out
From January 2016 this performance indicator has experienced an upward trend increasing from 19% to reach 34% in March 2019. This trend was mainly due to the increase, by 18 percentage points, in the proportion of non-Indigenous young adults (13 percentage point increase for Indigenous young adults) benefiting from the AYA program in the first year after aging-out of CCOs and YAG. The positive trend is expended to continue significantly reflecting the further enhancements to the AYA program.
Post Transition Support for Children & Youth Performance Indicators 5.36 Youth Discharged from Care and Subsequently Claiming Income Assistance (IA): Expected to Work within Six Months of Aging Out 5.56 Youth Who Claim IA: Expected to Work within Six Months of Aging Out of Youth on Youth Agreements (YAGs) 5.57 Young Adults Transitioning Out of Continuing Custody (CCO), or YA, that Receive Financial Assistance through the AYA Program