A Way Home Kamloops Youth Advisors shared stories and expertise on youth homelessness during a recent conference with the provincial government and service providers around B.C (Image provided by A Way Home Kamloops Society)

By Dylana Kneeshaw

ENDING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS

Youth-led summit calls for provincial plan to end youth homelessness

Jan 31, 2021 | 3:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — Young adults working with A Way Home Kamloops are continuing their late founder’s mission to end youth homelessness.

Earlier this month, nine of A Way Home’s Youth Advisors hosted a virtual conference with the province and other service providers to share youth homelessness expertise, and advocate for post-foster care supports.

A Way Home Kamloops lost its Executive Director Katherine McParland on December 4, 2020. Since then organization has been working to honour her memory by continuing to push for a provincial plan for youth aging out of foster care.

Peer Support Navigator Kira Cheeseborough says in a release the Youth Homelessness Preliminary Summit was held on January 21 with this goal in mind.

“The voices and solutions from youth with lived expertise should be informing and leading the changes needed to address, prevent, and end youth homelessness in B.C,” she states, “The biggest recommendation that we have is to create a provincial plan to end youth homelessness.”

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The event virtually brought together 57 participants from BC Housing, the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth, the First Nations Summit, the Attorney General’s office, the Ministry of Children and Family Development, and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions.

A Way Home representatives led discussions on aging out of foster care, substance use, mental health, cultural supports, LGBTQ2S+ experiences, education, and employment as a solution to exiting or preventing homelessness.

“It was incredibly powerful to hear from these youth about their experiences with homelessness. Hearing directly from young people is critical to better understanding how we can meet their unique needs and I am grateful to everyone who shared their story. We are working to improve services and supports for those who are transitioning from government care, and input from youth and young adults will play a key role in shaping those services,” states Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development. “I was also very heartened to hear throughout the summit how Katherine McParland’s work lives on through these youth and their experiences.”

Cheeseborough says the main solution reiterated in the event was ensuring youth don’t age out of the foster care system before safe, appropriate housing and after care supports are put in place.

The A Way Home Kamloops Society says beyond the youth summit it will continue to communicate these recommendations to the provincial government, and BC’s service providers.