Advancing Education & Career Dreams

Research suggests that education is the single most critical factor in assisting children and youth in care to lead productive and successful lives. FACS Niagara prioritizes providing encouragement and assistance to our youth to complete their education, so they can live fulfilling lives and achieve personal success – what ever that looks like to them.

FACS Niagara’s Education Program is 100% donor-funded. As such, our donors provide critical support that lessens each young person’s financial burden and gives them the peace-of-mind and motivation to push themselves and reach for goals they may never have considered possible.

FACS Niagara’s Education Program

Young people who have spent time in care have typically experienced hardships and challenges that increase barriers to post-secondary education – including a lack of financial resources, fewer role models, and mental health challenges.

To address challenges that former youth in care face in education, FACS Niagara has created an innovative approach to not only support youth in completing high school, but also offer both financial and human resources to provide them with the tools they need to pursue post secondary education / training. Many of our youth are the first generation of their family to obtain post-secondary education.

The main components of our education program include:

Education Liaisons – FACS employs two Education Liaisons who monitor the progress of youth and help them work through any challenges that they may have with their secondary school education.

Ontario Education Championship Team – Starting as early as grade 8, our Ontario Education Championship Team works alongside youth, helping them to plan for their future education, matching them with mentors, identifying potential obstacles and arranging tutors.

Niagara Foundation for Family & Children’s Services Education Grants – FACS education grants help with the costs of college, university and job skills training. Education grants assist not only with the financial burden of former youth in care who do not have parents or caregivers to assist in supporting them financially, but as important, provide emotional support and encouragement. Our education grants remove burden and hardship but also sends a strong message of support to youth so that they know someone believes in them and is dedicated to and cheering for their success.