Home – Stage 3 with Stories

A group of youth releasing balloons into the sky.
Youth who are aging out of care this year receive a cedar brushing at an honouring ceremony hosted by Métis Family Services in Surrey
View of a mural in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
Spotlight: Child Welfare Team photo

Spotlight: Child Welfare

is a collaborative journalism project that brings together youth, families, advocates and journalists to improve media coverage of the so-called child “welfare” system.
Learn More
January 10, 2020

‘Permanent poverty until I die:’ Former foster kids left behind by B.C.’s tuition waiver program

Tuition waivers are playing a pivotal role helping youth age out of care, but what about those from decades past?

Ashley Wadhwani

PUBLISHED BY

August 21, 2019

BC Waives Tuition for Youth from Foster Care, But It Could Do Even Better

Province could look to Florida or Connecticut for ideas on how to help former kids in care.

Katie Hyslop

PUBLISHED BY

July 29, 2019

Expanded Support to Help Youth from Care Attend University Still Falling Short

Inadequate support, limited awareness and eligibility restrictions have meant most youth from care aren’t benefiting from expanded initiatives.

Katie Hyslop

PUBLISHED BY

July 12, 2019

UPDATED: New law centre serving B.C. region with highest rates of kids in care

NOTE: This story uses data obtained by the Spotlight: Child Welfare team, but it was not produced as part of this project.

David Gordon Koch

PUBLISHED BY

June 11, 2019

‘You’re constantly drowning’ in cases and paperwork, says B.C. social worker

An illustrated look at a day in the life of a child-protection worker.

SAMANTHA GARVEYFRANCESCA FIONDA AND BRIELLE MORGAN

PUBLISHED BY

June 6, 2019

B.C. paying foster parents instead of supporting struggling families, experts say

‘We’re willing to give strangers just about anything to look after kids, but we have this blockage when it comes to supporting families,’ says professor.

BRIELLE MORGANKATIE HYSLOPCHERISE SEUCHARAN AND TRACY SHERLOCK

PUBLISHED BY
April 30, 2019

Tuition waivers help break cycle of poverty and hopelessness for former foster children

Journalism collaboration Spotlight: Child Welfare aims to deepen and improve reporting on B.C.’s child-welfare system.

tracy sherlock

PUBLISHED BY

April 30, 2019

Journalists launch ‘Spotlight: Child Welfare’ series into B.C.’s foster system

Black Press Media is part of a collaboration diving into Ministry of Children and Family Development.

Black Press Media Staff

PUBLISHED BY

April 29, 2019

B.C. government is failing vulnerable kids and families, according to its own audits

Investigation reveals ministry isn’t meeting critical standards. ‘This should be a four-alarm fire,’ social work professor says.

, ,  

PUBLISHED BY