Articles

03/23/2018

What next? Aging out of the youth care system.

“Transition to adulthood is particularly stressful for individuals with developmental disabilities. No longer eligible for educational and children’s sector services, they often experience negative behavioral changes. Frequently, their families descend into crisis without stable, dependable, and consistent supports.”

Nowhere to Turn, Ontario Ombudsman, 2016

Caring for a loved one with developmental disabilities is complex enough, but as the Ontario Ombudsman noted in 2016, it becomes even more difficult when the resources you have relied on for years simply start to disappear. That’s exactly what it feels like when your child turns 18 and starts to “age out” of the youth care system.

Safehaven is committed to helping bridge that gap between youth care and adult care, which is why we are currently exploring how we could expand our services to include adult aged individuals. That way, families could experience a seamless transition from youth respite care to adult respite care. They would be dealing with the same social workers, the same booking system, and the same organization they have come to know and trust. They wouldn’t feel like they were navigating a completely new and foreign system.

Serving transitional aged youth has become a special cause here at Safehaven, so we are always on the lookout for good stories and positive developments when it comes to that issue. That’s why we were heartened to see a CTV W5 investigation into transitional care aired just a few weeks ago. This thoughtful and serious documentary sheds light on this really critical issue, which is exactly what we need if we are going to change this system for the better.

If you have 20 minutes, we encourage you to watch W5’s special report:

https://www.ctvnews.ca/w5/families-agonize-over-who-will-care-for-their-severely-disabled-children-as-they-age-1.3846080#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=Facebook&_gsc=cAr4H4H