The Symposium was co-hosted by A Way Home Canada, the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and our Making the Shift Youth Homelessness Social Innovation Lab and sponsored by the Home Depot Canada Foundation and Porticus. [...] We heard and shared stories about the removal of youth from their com- munities and culture, the loss of cultural practices, language and connection, and the trauma that is associated with this. [...] We also looked at the dangers of misguided language and philosophies, such as emphasizing “independence” rather than “interdependence,” celebrations and resulting expectations of youth “resilience,” and the dominant paternalistic and protectionist approach to child welfare that fails to center youth voice and youth choice in this work. [...] We heard encouraging feedback about the value of this symposium, such as the cross-country connections made, a better under- standing of how other sectors and jurisdictions approach transitions, the opportunity to hear about the inspiring work being done by service providers, the nuanced research taking place in this field, and more. [...] We will continue to seek ways to feature the work of first voice and Indigenous advocates, and people pursuing practice, policy and systems change regarding youth homelessness and transitions from care.
- Pages
- 13
- Published in
- Canada
