Aging Out of Foster Care in New Brunswick: What Happens at 19 and Beyond

Turning 19 in foster care in New Brunswick is not a milestone most youth celebrate. It is the age at which the system's obligation to provide a home formally ends. For young people who have spent years in care without a permanent family connection, the transition out of the system at 19 is among the most precarious moments they will face.

Research on youth who age out of care in Canada documents the pattern clearly: without a permanent family connection, youth exiting care at the age of majority face significantly elevated risks of housing instability, poverty, and long-term social exclusion. The Child and Youth Advocate's office in New Brunswick has been vocal about the inadequacy of supports for youth at this transition point, noting the "sharp and steady functional decline" that often follows for those who leave care without a stable base.

The Child and Youth Well-Being Act, proclaimed in 2024, includes provisions specifically designed to address this. Here is what those provisions actually say — and what they mean for youth leaving care and the foster families supporting them.

The Age of Majority in New Brunswick

New Brunswick's age of majority is 19. This means that foster care placements formally end when a youth in care turns 19, unless a formal transitional services arrangement extends DSD's involvement. Unlike some provinces that automatically provide extended care to 21 or beyond, New Brunswick requires youth to opt into transitional support, and that support is not guaranteed — it is subject to DSD approval and available resources.

What Transitional Services Look Like Under the 2024 Act

The Child and Youth Well-Being Act provides for "Transitional Services" — continuing financial and case management support — for youth who leave care at 19 and are:

• Enrolled in or planning to pursue post-secondary education (university, college, trades training)
• Employed but requiring additional support to achieve financial stability
• Facing barriers to independent living that DSD determines require ongoing intervention

DSD has discretion to continue supporting youth up to age 26 under this framework. In practice, this means a former foster youth who is enrolled in university in Fredericton may be able to access financial support and a continuing relationship with a social worker. A youth who is not pursuing education and does not meet the other criteria may find supports limited.

The ambiguity here is significant. "Subject to available resources" and "DSD discretion" translate, in practice, to inconsistent outcomes depending on the region, the caseworker, and the individual youth's circumstances. The Act created the framework; implementation gaps remain.

What Youth Can Access Before They Turn 19

The transition planning process is supposed to begin well before a youth turns 19, not at the door on their birthday. The Act and DSD policy require that transition planning begin at 16, with the youth themselves involved in setting goals and identifying needs for the period after care.

This planning should cover:

• Housing: Where will the youth live after 19? Do they have access to rental housing? Are they on waiting lists for supported housing if needed?
• Education: Is post-secondary education part of the plan? Are applications and funding (including Canada Student Grants available to former youth in care) in place?
• Employment: Does the youth have work experience, a resume, and a plan for earning income?
• Health: Are prescriptions in place? Has the youth been connected to NB Medicare in their own name? Are mental health supports continuing beyond care?
• Social connections: Who are the trusted adults in this person's life? A foster family that remains involved after 19 is one of the strongest protective factors the research identifies.

If you are a foster parent caring for a youth aged 16 or older, ask the caseworker directly: is transition planning underway? If not, advocate for it to begin.

The Role of Foster Families After Age 19

The legislation does not mandate that a foster family's relationship with a youth ends at 19. Many foster families maintain ongoing connections with former foster youth — in effect, becoming the permanent family the system failed to formalize through adoption or guardianship.

This informal connection — a place to come for holidays, someone to call in a crisis, an adult who shows up when it matters — is not captured in DSD statistics, but it is among the most protective factors youth who age out can have. Former youth in care who have an ongoing relationship with at least one caring adult show markedly better outcomes.

Foster families who know that a youth in their care is likely to age out without a permanency arrangement should think proactively about what kind of ongoing relationship they want to offer and be honest with the youth about it. "You will always have a place here for Christmas" is worth more than it sounds.

Canada Student Grants for Former Youth in Care

One of the most underutilized supports for former foster youth in New Brunswick is the federal Canada Student Grant for Former Crown Wards. Former youth in care who meet the eligibility criteria may access non-repayable grants of up to $6,000 per year for full-time post-secondary studies. This is separate from regular student grants and does not count against other student aid calculations.

Accessing this requires knowing it exists and applying through the National Student Loans Service Centre. A youth who ages out of care without anyone telling them about this grant has been failed by the system in a concrete and fixable way.

The System's Ongoing Shortfall

The Child and Youth Advocate, Norman Bossé, has repeatedly raised the alarm about youth in care who "age out" without a plan. The province has approximately 730 children in permanent care at any given time. Many of them will reach 19 without an adoptive family. The transitional services framework under the 2024 Act is an improvement over what existed before — but it is still not a substitute for a permanent family connection established before 19.

For prospective foster parents: the youth who are hardest to place — teenagers, sibling groups, youth with complex needs — are the ones most at risk of aging out without permanency. Fostering a teenager is difficult. It is also among the most consequential things a family can do for a young person who has almost run out of time within a system designed to protect them.

What Foster Parents Can Do

The New Brunswick Foster Care Guide covers transitional services in detail, including the documentation required for extended care past 19, how to support a youth in building their transition plan, and what Canada's federal programs for former Crown wards provide. If you are fostering or considering fostering older youth in New Brunswick, that context is essential reading before the transition point arrives.

The best outcome for a youth who ages out of care in New Brunswick is a foster family that becomes a permanent informal support network, combined with the formal transitional services the Act provides. That combination is not common enough — but it is the standard worth aiming for.

See more Canada guides →