Smartphones keep youth in care connected to family, services

October 14, 2021
Ministry of Children and Family Development

VICTORIA – Over the next two months, nearly 4,000 youth in government care will receive an iPhone to help keep them connected to friends and family, and provide better access to online services, resources and opportunities.

“Youth in care told us they don’t always have access to the essential technology they need to stay connected to school and key people in their lives, like friends, family members or mentors,” said Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development. “Access to a phone can support youth in building their self-esteem and sense of belonging, and help them to maintain important hereditary and cultural connections, as well as enhance their safety, so they can call for immediate assistance if they ever need it. As we continue to slowly emerge from the pandemic, having a phone can help to alleviate the feelings of loneliness and isolation for young people.”

The ministry’s Phones4Youth program, the first project of its kind in B.C., is beginning to distribute smartphones from Telus to every B.C. youth in care aged 13 or older, regardless of their care status…