How We Make a Difference

Why Our Work is Essential

Youth aging out of foster care and mothers at risk of losing custody of their children face some of the highest rates of homelessness, poverty, mental health crises, and family separation in the country.

Every year in BC approximately 1000 youth ‘age out’ of care at age 19. Nearly 60% reside in Metro Vancouver, demonstrating the urgency of providing stable housing and support in this region. (Data from the Ministry of Children and Families BC can be found here.)

Children in care grow up without consistent support, face hardship in young adulthood, and those who become parents are often at risk of losing custody of their own children. The pattern of separation and trauma continues from generation to generation.

Aunt Leah’s goal is to break that cycle. We provide housing, lifeskills, education and employment services. Youth and moms receive guidance, and a caring community so they are able to build lives rooted in stability, belonging, and hope. We believe every young person deserves more than just survival. They deserve the opportunity to belong, grow, and thrive.

What Needs to Change?

Youth from foster care need the support that most parented youth receive: safe, secure housing, assistance with education, employment and care for their individual needs.

We know who needs extra help and how to reach them. Who to help is not a mystery – we can place scarce resources toward those most in need. This is a relatively small group of individuals; therefore, the goal of delivering these extra preventative supports is within reach.

50% of youth who age out of care in B.C. experience homelessness within two years. Early intervention creates the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. We have the opportunity and indeed the moral and ethical obligation for early intervention to prevent homelessness, crime, unemployment and unplanned pregnancies, and instead offer opportunity and the chance to move toward healthy self-sufficient lives. Statistics underscore the necessity of this focus:

High Rates of Homelessness: The 2020 Vancouver Homeless Count Report shows that 32% of those surveyed were connected to foster care.
Educational and Employment Challenges: These youths often face barriers to education and employment, contributing to their housing instability. They have lower educational attainment and higher rates of unemployment compared to their peers.(Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal)(Dalhousie University)

Indigenous and racialized youth are overrepresented in the child welfare system.

In British Columbia, 60% of youth who age out of government care are Indigenous, even though Indigenous people make up only about six per cent of the overall population.

This overrepresentation is caused by Canada’s colonial policies, including residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, birth alerts and ongoing discrimination in child welfare, housing, and health care systems.

Although Aunt Leah’s is not an indigenous lead organization we invite and integrate indigenous knowledge and expertise into our programs and services.

Mothers living in poverty, especially those who have grown up in care, are more likely to become involved with the child welfare system.

Often, it is poverty—not parenting—that leads to the removal of their children.

At Aunt Leah’s, we create opportunities for mothers to learn the skills they need to care for their children and live independently.

“The cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of care. The long-term social and financial costs of homelessness, mental health struggles, and family separation are much higher than the cost of offering early, compassionate help.” – Sarah Stewart, Aunt Leah’s Executive Director

Our Solution

For the past 20 years, Aunt Leah’s has advocated for the Ministry of Children and Family Development to extend the age at which youth age out of care.

Our persistence has paid off. In 2024, in British Columbia, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) extended its services to 27 years of age, providing increased income support, life skills and education support, and counseling services. On April 1st, the full spectrum of its expanded services came into effect.

Yet the housing crisis remains. We have learned that we must invest in physical housing and rent subsidies as the priority for youth aging out of care and families affected by the child welfare system. While the increased post-majority supports provided by MCFD include increased sources of revenue, they do not provide a continuum of housing supports, which is crucial for well-being. BC Housing has yet to establish a youth housing portfolio dedicated to the unique needs of youth.

Aunt Leah’s bridges the housing gap for youth aging out of care. In 2024/2025 we offered more BC Housing long-term rent subsidies, and we expanded physical housing owned and operated by Aunt Leah’s. These efforts are crucial for youth to transition successfully into adulthood and for vulnerable mothers to live independently with their children.

To learn more about our Theory of Change, click below.

Download Aunt Leah’s Theory of Change (PDF)

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“I do not know what I would have done without Aunt Leah’s. I could have been homeless myself. Aunt Leah’s is like family. They always have your back and are there for you in a pinch.” – Ashley

Our Impact

April 1st 2025 – March 30th 2026
392 youth, moms and children supported

Individuals who lived in our supported housing

Moms and 15 children supported in our homes

Moms with their children who moved into independent housing

173

Individuals Secured Housing

Individuals have an education plan

Found Employment

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