Outcomes for youth wellbeing: strong, supportive friends and families

Supporting young Ontarians to grow and thrive - Outcomes #4, #5, #6

The evidence is clear: young people need adults in their lives who care about them, encourage them and believe in them. All young Ontarians should have caring families and adults to turn to when they need guidance - and those adults should have the resources needed to support youth.

Friends and Families matter to young Ontarians:

Studies show that youth who are supported by at least one consistent, caring adult have an easier time developing their identity, empathizing and regulating their emotions^{footnote 96[96]}. Having positive, accepting peer relationships also supports their development.

And they're important for Ontario:

Young people who have access to caring adults and peers have the strong, supportive foundation they need to believe in themselves, pursue positive opportunities and contribute to their communities.

Snapshot of young people's friends and families in Ontario

The Ontario family is changing: The definition of family in Ontario has evolved in recent generations. Family housholds in Ontario include those who live alone, single parents, re-married couples, parents in different households, step-children and step-siblings, friends, foster parents, grandparents, extended families and same-sex partners. Married-couple families have decreased over time, while common-law couples quadrupled between 1981 and 2011^{footnote 97[97]}. Family size has shrunk over time, with an average of 2.9 people per family^{footnote 98[98]}. Increasingly more young adults are still living at home.

Families are spending less time together: Many families have one parent at home; others may have two parents working full time. Some parents hold more than one job, or work long hours. Young people are busy, too. They are often engaged in a variety of activities in their schools and communities. All these factors make it much more challenging for families to spend quality time together.

Young people interact with others in new ways: Technology continues to change the way young people interact with friends and family. 97% of Canadian youth between 12 and 17 years report texting at least weekly to communicate with people in their lives, including their parents^{footnote 101[101]}. Nearly 60% of all teens send and receive text messages with friends daily^{footnote 102[102]}.

#4 Support strong families and guardians

We know that parents and guardians play a primary role in the healthy development of young people.

Important aspects of the role of parents and guardians for young people include:

Supporting them so they are equipped to provide basic needs: Young people rely on parents, extended family and caregivers to provide safe places to live and healthy food to eat. As youth age and begin to enter the workforce, they begin to be able to provide for themselves, but many still count on support from family. We know that for some families, providing basic necessities is not always easy. Low-income families may be worried about their ability to make ends meet. Families of young people with complex disabilities or special needs may face additional challenges providing them with the extra support they need. Families living in rural and remote communities may have difficulty finding and affording good quality housing options.

Building their capacity to promote positive development: Parents and guardians have a primary influence on young people's attitudes towards school, learning and future success. Studies have shown that young people with supportive parents, schools and communities - whatever their income or background - are more likely to earn higher grades, have a stronger sense of identity and self-efficacy, and have an easier time empathizing and regulating their emotions^{footnote 105[105]}. In addition, parents and guardians teach young people many important life skills - such as how to resolve conflicts, open a bank account, write a resumé, or do the laundry - which support them in navigating a range of life experiences.

Newcomer parents and guardians may need extra support to understand and connect with the environment in which their youth are growing up. Best practices recommend that parents become involved with their youth's learning, so that the entire family can be engaged in the cultural exchange. Parental involvement breaks down the cultural barriers, and helps them recognize and accept the society in which their youth develop^{footnote 106[106]}.

Helping them to find additional support when it is needed: Parents and caring adults are usually the first to notice any issues in the life of a young person - and are the first line of support when they are in trouble or need a tough question answered. Providing parents with a clear way to get information helps ensure that youth get the help they need. In addition, providing parents of youth with opportunities to receive help themselves (such as through counseling for at-risk parents and families, or respite services for families of youth with disabilities or special needs) can ensure that they have the tools and capacity to be better role models.

We know that sometimes families experience complex challenges and sometimes they break down. Helping at-risk youth who are vulnerable due to challenges with their parents or guardians to find support is important. This will ensure they are able to successfully transition to adulthood.

Outcome we want:

#4 Ontario youth have families and guardians equipped to help them thrive.

How we can tell:

• ▼Proportion of families who live in deep poverty and are struggling to afford housing
• ▼Proportion of caregivers who can't afford to feed their families balanced meals
• ▼Proportion of children and youth who live in low-income households

#5 Improve young people's relationships with caring adults

We know that all Ontario youth need at least one single, consistent, supportive, caring adult in their lives. The relationships youth build with adult and peer role models can play an important role in determining their choices in the future. Mentors can help build skills and increase a young person's self-efficacy, build morals and positive values, set attainable goals, and provide direction in achieving their goals.

Supporting young people's relationships with caring adults involves:

Increasing access to caring adults: Many young people are able to find role models in their homes or through their personal networks, social groups, or activities, but we know that this not always the case. Some young people may not have available parents, guardians or extended family to turn to, or may prefer to turn to other adults who provide a mentoring role different from their mothers and fathers. These youth may find role models through their broader communities, schools and workplaces, perhaps a teacher, employer, counselor, program provider or friend.

Evidence shows that all youth, whether they are at-risk or not, benefit from having a mentoring relationship with a non-parent adult^{footnote 109[109]}. Establishing and maintaining a relationship with a mentor has been shown to support positive development for youth who don't have strong relationships with other adults^{footnote 110[110]}. Both personal mentors and mentorship programs for at-risk youth have been found to improve outcomes^{footnote 111[111]}. Studies of mentoring programs have found that mentors from a similar social background are often most successful in supporting at-risk youth^{footnote 112[112]}.

Building the capacity of caring adults to better support youth: Adult allies and mentors benefit from having a strong understanding of the developmental needs of young people, and access to resources that help them make the most of their relationships. Studies show that providing realistic expectations, screening, high-quality training, and ongoing monitoring and support for mentors are best practices to increase the effectiveness of mentorships^{footnote 115[115]}. Adult allies need to listen effectively to youth voicing their needs and concerns, in order to support youth in the appropriate manner. Creating a safe space for youth to express themselves is a common first-step. Allies need to recognize the impact that they and other adults, including parents, have in the safe space^{footnote 116[116]}.

Outcome we want:

#5 Ontario youth have at least one consistent, caring adult in their lives.

How we can tell:

• ▲Proportion of youth who have at least one parent who usually knows where they are
• ▼Proportion of youth who do not get along with their mother
• ▼Proportion of youth who do not get along with their fathers

#6 Promote positive peer relationships

Developing a sense of self-identity and gaining the skills necessary to form healthy and close relationships is a key part of adolescence. As a result, friends play an important role in a young person's life.

Components of supporting positive relationships and friendships include:

Providing spaces and opportunities for youth to interact in positive ways: Having positive, trusting relationships with friends supports young people to develop their social identity, learn how to form and maintain healthy relationships, and gain independence from their families and caregivers. Supporting these relationships involves providing positive, pro-social opportunities for young people to connect in safe environments. Safe places for young people to go can include community hubs, drop-in centres, recreation facilities, libraries, and many other public areas that are inviting and accepting of young people.

Helping youth to develop pro-social relationships and interpersonal skills: Young people often place strong value on input from their peers. They identify their friends as being important influences on their identity. Despite the importance of these bonds, not all young people have strong skills and healthy approaches to their relationships. Youth living with disabilities or special needs, such as young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder, may face additional barriers to developing positive relationships with peers. Encouraging healthy boundaries and skills can be challenging as technology now enables young people to be in constant communication with their peers across more environments than in the past. Young people can learn social skills and adopt healthy attitudes toward relationships through positive experiences and role models.

Outcome we want:

#6 Ontario youth form and maintain healthy, close relationships.

How we can tell:

• ▼Proportion of youth who feel lonely
• ▲Proportion of youth who have someone they are comfortable talking to about problems
• ▲Proportion of youth who have family and friends who help them feel safe, secure and happy

What is Ontario doing to support these outcomes?

The Government of Ontario has a number of initiatives that encourage strong, supportive friends and families:

• Admission, accueil et accompagnement policy for French-language schools
• Child wellbeing and prevention initiatives
• Children's aid societies
• Commission for the Review of Social Assistance in Ontario
• Enhanced Caregiver Training
• Enhanced Respite for Medically Fragile and/or Technology Dependent Children
• Extended Care and Maintenance program
• Family Mediation
• Formal Customary Care
• Introduction of Family Day
• Long-term Affordable Housing Strategy
• Mandatory Information Program
• Mentors for Young People in Care
• Office of the Children's Lawyer
• Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth
• Ontario Child Benefit
• Ontario Works: LEAP (Learning, Earning & Parenting)
• Ontario's Poverty Reduction Strategy
• Parent Engagement Funding to Parent Involvement Committees (PICs)
• Parenting and Family Literacy Centres
• Parents in Partnership: a parent engagement policy for Ontario schools
• Parents Reaching Out (PRO) Grants
• Renewed Youth Supports Program
• Residential Services
• Respite Programs / Out-of-Home Respite services
• Supervised Access
• Targeted Subsidies for Adoption and Legal Custody
• Tools and Resources for Parents and School Leaders
• Youth in Transition Workers
• Youth Leaving Care Strategy

Stepping Up: Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program

Case study

The Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program (OYAP) is a School to Work program that gives students the opportunity to work as apprentices in Grades 11-12, through the Cooperative Education program. Partnerships between school boards and employers, who provide the apprenticeship placements, are key to the success of the program. Students benefit from the opportunity to become registered apprentices and work towards becoming certified journey persons in a skilled trade, while completing their secondary school diplomas – and employers have the opportunity to train the skilled workers they need.

Tiffany Sherri Caldwell's story...

Tiffany Sherri Caldwell is a welder apprentice registered with the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship Program. In her second semester of Grade 12 at Saugeen District Secondary School in Port Elgin, Tiffany was accepted into a co-op placement at Bruce Power in the Central Maintenance Facility shop. Through the program, she was able to improve her welding and successfully earn her welder certification. With the support of her parents, Tiffany was also able to improve her performance at school, and was awarded the 2009 Excellence in Manufacturing Award and the 2010 NAPA Automotive Award.

My mom forced me to take a welding course in Grade 10, and the day I struck my first arc, I was hooked. My first project, a garden arbour that stands almost two and a half metres tall, was a great accomplishment. The second was a garden bench in a butterfly shape that I designed. In my last year of welding, I designed and welded my own graduation rose bouquet. I also welded a boutonnière for my senior prom date. I wasn't one of the most popular girls in school and spent my days in the welding shop. Imagine my surprise when I was crowned prom queen! A certified welder becomes prom queen! You will always miss 100% of the arcs you do not strike, so - grab that stinger, flip the helmet, and strike that arc! Let those sparks of success fly!

Tiffany Sherri Caldwell