CWICE Reflects on the Senate of Canada’s Report: A Critical Moment for Youth Aging Out of Care
The Senate of Canada’s Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights recently released a landmark report, Nothing to Celebrate: The Crisis of Youth Aging Out of Care, offering one of the most comprehensive national examinations of the experiences and vulnerabilities of young people transitioning out of the child welfare system. For the Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence (CWICE), the report represents both validation of our work and a call to collective action across sectors.
CWICE was honoured to contribute to the study, with our Head of Youth Success and Innovation, Prasad Nair appearing as an expert witness to testify on behalf of Peel CAS and CWICE. Our testimony focused on the unique challenges faced by young people with precarious or unresolved immigration status, youth who often fall between jurisdictional gaps and face risks far more severe than their peers.
We are proud that this perspective is reflected throughout the report.
Youth With Precarious Status: A Vulnerability We Cannot Ignore
The Senate report highlights a reality that CWICE has long advocated for: when a young person grows up in government care, Canada has a moral and ethical responsibility to ensure they are not left without immigration status at adulthood. Without a clear pathway to citizenship or permanent residency, youth face barriers to health care, housing, education, employment, and in the most distressing cases, the risk of deportation to a country they may not remember or have connections to.
This report affirms the systemic gaps CWICE witnesses daily:
• inconsistent approaches to immigration status work
• lack of federal and provincial alignment
• youth aging out of the care system into homelessness, poverty, or legal uncertainty
• service providers lacking training on immigration-related vulnerabilities
For these reasons, CWICE is encouraged by the Senate’s recommendation that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ensure youth in care can complete their pathway to citizenship and are protected from deportation. This is the kind of transformative systemic reform that can immediately change the life trajectory of a young person.
Connecting Immigration Status to the Holistic Picture of Youth Success:
The Senate report also speaks to broader issues that align with the philosophy and direction of Peel CAS’s Youth Success Strategy.
Strategies connecting immigration status to a wider picture of youth success include:
• Offering a readiness-based approach to transition support through Trailblazer Youth Centre- TYC (up to the age of 29 years, rather than abrupt age cut-offs
• Wraparound supports through AKOMA, SAATH, MAAN, and SEEA, Adolescent Mental Health Partnership, TYC, YWHO that promote and integrate mental health care, education, and life skills
• Specialized support for youth involved with criminal justice system, where youth in care are disproportionately criminalized for behaviours rooted in trauma
• Embracing and enhancing the importance of belonging, cultural identity, and connection, especially for racialized and newcomer youth
The Senate findings reinforce the integrated approach Peel CAS has taken across innovative services including Youth Success, Youth Wellness Hub, and CWICE, as these prioritize identity, readiness, and holistic well-being.
A National Call for Collaboration
The report also recommends a national action plan and a national children and youth commissioner. We believe these are steps that would bring consistency, accountability, and shared standards across jurisdictions within Canada.
Immigration-related issues cross borders by nature, and the children and youth we serve often face inconsistencies depending on the region, province, or territory in which they live. A national coordinated approach will support:
• better data collection and reporting
• earlier identification and resolution of immigration concerns
• policy and legislative alignment creating clearer pathways to immigration status
• consistent training and service standards
• improved collaboration between child welfare and federal systems
These are each areas where CWICE has already begun to build provincial and national partnerships, and where our team standby ready to contribute further.
Recognizing the CWICE Team
This moment is also an opportunity to acknowledge the CWICE team. Their dedication, expertise, and commitment to innovation have positioned Peel CAS as leaders in this field. The report’s recognition of immigration-related issues is a testament to the tireless work our staff do each day, supporting children, youth, and families facing some of the most complex circumstances imaginable. From early identification of immigration status concerns to national outreach, and training, CWICE continues to shape policy, practice, and outcomes in meaningful ways.
Moving Forward with Purpose
The Senate’s report is not simply a publication, we’ve interpreted it as a national call to reshape how we care for young people, particularly those who are most vulnerable. CWICE continues to be committed to our leadership in this space and to working alongside partners at all levels of government to ensure that no young person leaves care without safety, stability, and a secure future. For youth with precarious immigration status and for all youth transitioning out of care, this work is urgent. And at CWICE, it remains our purpose.
About the Author:
With over 25 years of leadership experience in Child Welfare, Family Well-being, and Human Resources Management across both for-profit and non-profit sectors, Prasad Nair is a dedicated and experienced professional. He holds a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Law degree from India, as well as a Master of Social Work from York University. Currently, Prasad oversees a diverse portfolio that includes the Child Welfare Immigration Centre of Excellence (CWICE), Youth Success initiatives, Trailblazer Youth Centre, and Volunteer Services. He also serves on the Peel Children’s Aid Foundation board as the Peel CAS liaison, demonstrating his commitment to fostering positive outcomes for children and youth.
