What is the Ready, Set, Go guide?

The Ready, Set, Go Guide (the Guide) is a practical but detailed document intended to help children’s aid societies (societies) better support children and youth as they prepare to transition to adulthood.

The Guide was developed in response to concerns from key stakeholders, including youth with lived experience and youth-serving agencies that planning for youth leaving care is inconsistent across the province and lacks focus on preparing the youth for the transition and life afterwards. The ministry also heard from children’s aid societies that operational supports to help children and youth prepare would be helpful.

The Guide responds to research which indicates that outcomes for youth in and leaving the child welfare system are typically worse compared to the general Canadian youth population and that outcomes can be improved through a consistent and comprehensive approach to individualized planning.

The Guide provides a new approach to leaving care focused on the unique pathway of every youth in care. The Guide seeks to support youth in developing skills and abilities necessary for adulthood based on the youth’s perspectives on their goals, progress, and views on what services and supports would help them prepare for adulthood.

The Guide is intended for use with children in care as young as 13 to prepare for adulthood. Societies are required to use this Guide to develop plans for youth between the agencies of 15 and 22 who are receiving supports through the Ready, Set, Go (RSG) Program. For the purposes of this guide, where the term “young person” is used, it is meant to refer to both children and youth. The term “young person” does not reflect the definition contained in the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017.

To support development of the Guide, the ministry engaged with youth with lived experience, service providers, advocates, Indigenous partners and other key stakeholders, and undertook an extensive review of current research, best practice, and youth leaving care policy and programs in other jurisdictions.

The structure of the guide

The guide is organized in three main parts.

Part 1

Provides an overview of the new policy and program for youth leaving care, as well as background information. This includes current outcome disparities for youth in and from care, a summary of requirements for societies and how the Guide fits within those requirements, the legislative context for youth leaving care supports and services in Ontario, information on how this Guide was developed, and how use of this Guide will improve the effectiveness of transition for young people from care. Lastly, it provides information on the importance of ensuring services to youth leaving care are responsive to their unique and diverse identity characteristics.

Part 2

Provides operational direction to societies to support children as young as 13 prepare for adulthood. Societies are required to use this Guide to develop plans for young people between the agencies of 15 and 22.

Part 3

Consists of the nine indicators developed by youth with lived experience that build upon the six life dimensions identified in regulation (health, education, identity, family and social relationships, emotional and behavioural development, and self-care skills). Each of the indicators includes activities and markers of progress for the society to consider and incorporate in planning.

Documentation

This section includes activities associated with supporting a young person to obtain important documentation and ensuring the young person has strategies in place to protect this documentation.

Education, training and employment

This section includes activities associated with supporting a young person to explore education and training goals, complete secondary school, and pursue a post-secondary education or training pathway, including any financial support that may be available to the young person to do so. This section also includes activities associated with supporting a young person to explore careers paths, identity employment goals, understand community employment resources and supports, secure employment, and strategies for maintaining employment.

Financial stability and financial literacy

This section includes activities associated with supporting a young person to become financial stable, supporting financial literacy through education and training, and developing financial management skills.

Health and Wellbeing

This section includes activities associated with supporting a young person’s access to relevant healthcare professionals, prescribed medications, knowledge of healthcare benefits they are entitled to, and access to supports and services to promote wellness.

Housing

This section includes activities associated with supporting a young person to understand different housing options that are available, skills associated with obtaining safe and affordable housing, and strategies and skills for home management and housing retention.

Identity, culture and belonging

This section includes activities associated with supporting a young person to develop and maintain connections to individuals, communities, and activities which support their identity characteristics, culture and heritage.

Relationships and professional supports

This section includes the activities associated with supporting a young person to establish personal connections, identify significant adults and peers, and seek professional supports consistent with their needs and goals.

Rights, responsibilities and self-advocacy

This section includes activities associated with supporting a young person to understand their right, responsibilities, and the importance of self-advocacy.

Self-efficacy

This section includes activities associated with supporting a young person to develop skills that promote self-efficacy and emotional regulation.

Supplementary addendums and youth resources

Supplementary addendums and youth resources can be used by societies to further support their planning with youth for adulthood. The intent of these supplementary resources is to provide further information that society workers and youth can utilize alongside the RSG Guide to identify and navigate resources, services, and programs specific to individual RSG indicators. The addendums also include sections for societies to identify additional local initiatives available to support youth. The youth resources created for each addendum aim to provide young people with an overview of the services and programs contained in the corresponding addendum in a concise and easily accessible format.