1 in 3 adults who grew up in Quebecs youth protection out of work, school at 21: study – Montreal [Video]

People who grew up under the care of Quebec’s youth protection system are far less likely to get an education and hold stable employment as they become adults, according to a groundbreaking new study.

The new research from the Chaire-Réseau de Recherche sur la Jeunesse du Québec paints a bleak picture. It finds one-third of people who grew up in the system are out of school and have no job by the time they reach 21.

“It was really like a jail system,” recounted 28-year-old Esteban Torres, who grew up under the care of youth protection.

He describes his time under government care as a harrowing experience.

“Once I tried to eat a cookie and they sent me to an isolation room because I didn’t respect the rule of not eating a cookie at the right time,” he said.

Torres says succeeding in school was an uphill battle.

“I couldn’t concentrate to study because there was so much drama …