IT MATTERS TO ME: INFORMING YOUTH SERVICES DELIVERY 21 transference of wisdom to assist in their success during this transition period (McCreary Centre Society, 2016). According to Statistics Canada (2012, p. 3), 84.5% of young people stay at home well into their 20s, with 59.3% being between the ages of 20 to 24, and 25.2% of young people remaining at home between the ages of 25 to 29 years of age. Parallel to Canada, European young adults have been remaining at home up to the age 32 (Dewar & Goodman, 2014). This phenomenon of young people being supported by family seems to be a new normal, which may have been contributed to society’s high cost of living (Vancouver Foundation, 2013). Comparing non-government-connected young people to the 700 young people in BC who annually age out of government care, and for their 5,000 FYIC predecessors, was unparalleled. For FYIC between the ages of 19 to 24, life is often greeted with a sense of uncertainty, anxiety, and dreary outcomes (McCreary Centre Society, 2016). Evidence has shown that FYIC expect to earn $329,000 less than their peers over a lifespan (McCreary, Centre Society 2016). Researchers have described this transition as a “cliff edge” (Campo & Commerford, 2016, p. 22), where a young person who was raised in the care of the government was suddenly expected to be an adult who must manage their life independently with none or little preparation, training, or support (Healey, 2017; McCreary Centre Society, 2016). FYIC share a common thread across the world in comparison to their non-government- raised peers. These experiences include exposure to trauma before entering government care, mental health issues, and multiple disruptions such as multiple social workers and foster placements (British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth, 2014). In BC, researchers reported that young people with care experience averaged 9.5 housing placements as they grow-up in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth, 2014). Understanding that youth in care are at high risk of health issues
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