Dale Kirby – The Conversation

Prime Minister Mark Carney addresses the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on Sept. 17, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

September 22, 2026

What Canada could gain from joining the EU’s Erasmus+ program, and what’s unresolved

Dale Kirby, Memorial University of Newfoundland

As Mark Carney raises the possibility of Canada joining the European Union’s Erasmus+ education program, it’s important to figure out what form Canadian participation would take.

Heart cut-outs seen in a flower bed at a National Indigenous People’s Day event with youth from Future Paths Network, a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting youth who are Black, Indigenous and People of Colour in their transition out of the foster care system in Ottawa, on June 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

March 25, 2026

The crisis of youth aging out of care is why Canada needs a children and youth commissioner

Jacquie Gahagan, Mount Saint Vincent University; Dale Kirby, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Dr. Melanie M. Doucet, McGill University, and Mary Rita Holland, Mount Saint Vincent University

Canada remains one of the few high-income countries without a national oversight body focused on the well-being of children and youth.

Providing access to post-secondary education costs an average of $85,000 to $100,000 over four years, while incarcerating a single youth can cost $300,000 to $500,000 per year. (Joshua Hoehne/Unsplash)

August 6, 2025

Why bolstering post‑secondary education for former youth in care is a wise investment

Jacquie Gahagan, Mount Saint Vincent University; Dale Kirby, Memorial University of Newfoundland; El Jones, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Kristyn Anderson, Dalhousie University

Without sustained support for education, housing and mental health, many former youth in care become involved in the criminal justice system.

A lack of comprehensive data exists pertaining to former youth in care, and this needs to change. (Shutterstock)

November 19, 2024

How a failure to support youth who were once in care may be fuelling unemployment

Jacquie Gahagan, Mount Saint Vincent University; Dale Kirby, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Margaret Robinson, Dalhousie University, and Rasnat Chowdhury, University of Toronto

Former youth in care deserve equitable educational opportunities. Better longitudinal data is needed around how youth and adults successfully transition to and complete post-secondary education.

People who have lived experience in child welfare systems have higher rates of homelessness. A homeless tent is seen in a park in Saint-Jerome, Que. on Jan. 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

March 10, 2024

Canada is falling behind other countries in meeting the needs of former youth in care

Jacquie Gahagan, Mount Saint Vincent University; Dale Kirby, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Kristyn Anderson, Dalhousie University, and Steven Smith, Saint Mary’s University

Canada needs to focus on tracking, monitoring and evaluating the economic, health and social outcomes of former youth in care, especially as they transition from government care.

In-depth interviews with former youth in care described barriers and challenges to attending post-secondary education once they received a tuition waiver. (Shutterstock)

September 12, 2022

Health of former youth in care could be bolstered by stronger tuition waiver programs

Jacquie Gahagan, Mount Saint Vincent University; Dale Kirby, Memorial University of Newfoundland; Krista C Ritchie, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Kristyn Anderson, Dalhousie University

To understand how tuition waivers and associated supports can help former youth in care complete post-secondary education and positively affect their health, evidence-based practices are needed.

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