$2,000 Bursary Program Supports Foster Children and Youth in Care Pursuing Post-Secondary Education
For over a decade, Storwell Self Storage has been running a bursary program for students who were part of the foster care system, to help them attend post-secondary school. The aim of the bursary is to provide foster children and youth in care with resources and opportunities that might be otherwise unavailable to them. With the proper tools, these students can work towards building a better life for themselves through the pursuit of higher education.
According to the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, right now there are approximately 63,000 Canadian children living in permanent care with foster families, extended family, or in group homes. Across the country, 235,000 children and youth have been identified as having experienced or being at risk of experiencing abuse and neglect. These children and youths often experience difficulties gaining access to adequate education opportunities, especially when it comes to post-secondary education.
The struggle of gaining adequate education is ever-present in many foster children’s lives, and often leads to complications obtaining employment after they have exited the foster care system. When a young person “ages out” of care, they lose access to many of the supports available through the child welfare system. Many young people leaving foster care do not have the same educational and employment opportunities as their contemporaries, leading to an employment rate 20% less than their peers. This lack of formal employment contributes to the risk of homelessness. Without a stable source of income, some former foster youth struggle with food security and long-term housing stability.
In response to the growing number of foster children and youth in care that struggle to afford post-secondary studies, Storwell has developed the Storwell foster children bursary program. Along with providing accessible and affordable storage units, Storwell is also devoted to helping out the local community through various charitable causes and social initiatives. Storwell offers an annual bursary of $2,000 to help foster children attend post-secondary schools and to offer a hand up as they make their way forward in life. Eligibility requirements and access to the application form can be found at: https://www.storwell.com/bursary-application