Winnipeg, Manitoba, July 24, 2026 — Expanding tuition waiver programs for young people who have lived in government care is an important step toward addressing low rates of high school and post-secondary education in youth from the child welfare system, expert panellists said at a recent meeting to discuss the education needs of youth in care.
Representatives of the Atlantic Tuition Waiver Project hosted the panel, called Education as a Human Right, on July 15, 2026 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. Education is a key determinant of health, panellists said; tuition waivers are among the actions needed to ensure education is accessible to all.
Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, a social worker, educator and social change advocate, took part in the event. She said expanding educational support for young people coming from the child welfare system must be prioritized.
“Education is a human right,” Senator Bernard said. “It should be a national priority to ensure that youth aging out of care have equitable access to post-secondary education. If we don’t pay now, we will pay later.”
The panel discussions aligned with recommendations made in a December 2025 report of the Senate Committee on Human Rights called Nothing to Celebrate: The Crisis of Youth Aging Out of Care. Senator Bernard is deputy chair of the committee.
Among the eight recommendations made by the committee is to increase support for youth aging out of care, including access to post-secondary education, housing and life-skills training.
Dr. Jacquie Gahagan, Associate Vice-President of Research at Mount Saint Vincent University and lead researcher on the Atlantic Tuition Waiver Project, said these issues must be addressed.
“These are not new issues. Clearly, more national attention is urgently needed on improving the educational outcomes and life chances of youth aging out of the child welfare system in Canada,” they said.
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To arrange an interview, please email:
- Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard at Wandathomas.bernard@sen.parl.gc.ca
- Dr. Jacqui Gahagan at Jacqueline.Gahagan@MSVU.ca
For more information about tuition waiver programs, read the report, Reducing Barriers to Education Among Former Youth in Care in Atlantic Canada.