News that the Ministry of Child and Family Development has extended a pause on teens aging out of government care during the pandemic is being well received by one local organization.

Katherine McParland of A Way Home Kamloops says there is still more work to be done for the estimated 1,000 teenagers that will age out of the foster-care system next spring.

“So now if we’re extending those emergency measures until March 31st, 2021 we are going to have a larger cohort of young people aging out of care,” she said. “We need to begin planning right now to ensure that each of these young people have the type of housing and support that they need so they are able to transition successfully into adulthood.”

McParland says we’ve moved on from some of the horror stories of years past where some teens were just given tents on their 19th birthday – but she says having a detailed housing plan for someone aging out is still badly needed.

“We would like to see a bit of a more individualized approach to young people aging out of care – ensuring that all their transition plans are completed and that all of those supports are in place so that they can remain connected to Ministry of Children and Family Development,” she said.

“We’re working with the sector to really try to have different organizations designate housing for these young people. They’re very diverse and require different types of accommodation.”

The province says it is also offering flexibility for young adults to access mental health and rehabilitative supports as of October 1.