Batshaw Foundation launches ‘risk to resilience’ to support at-risk youth in Montreal
Posted December 16, 2025 8:56 pm.
Last Updated December 16, 2025 9:24 pm.
The Batshaw Youth and Family Centres Foundation is launching its “Risk to Resilience” campaign in response to the growing number of at-risk youth in Montreal. The campaign video features four young people and one Clinical activity specialist, highlighting their journey from risk to resilience.
“The requests we’re getting are growing. We also support a much larger population of youth who have aged out of care in order to prevent homelessness and make sure that they have mental health support and transportation. So as kids age out of care, the government funding doesn’t always continue, and as a Foundation that’s one of the areas that we step in,” said Wendy Khan, the executive director of the Batshaw Foundation.
Experts say education is a key factor that can truly transform the life trajectory of at-risk youth. Of the 45,000 children who were under youth protection last year in Quebec, only an estimated 37 per cent are expected to graduate high school by the age of 21, compared to 86 per cent of the general population by the same age.
“I was almost 16 when I went into care,” said Eliora. “My dad wasn’t around much, so it was just like my mom and my sisters most of the time. So the Batcha Foundation really helped me pay for school.”
Khan saying, “Kids in care are much higher at risk for dropping out of school, so really making sure that they can continue in school is really important, and they’re also at a much higher risk of homelessness as they age out of care. So those are three crucial pieces that make them at much higher risk than your average youth.”
This campaign serves as a reminder of how much we often take for granted.
Skyler said, “Having a bed is one of the necessities of life, so I thank you guys for that.”
“I was four or five. It was like a very brief foster home, complete strangers,” said Jasmine. “The foundation that was able to supply and furnish my whole apartment.”
Ali said, “What I have noticed through personal experience when you go through these problems, there’s a lot of stress and nothing in the life is functioning.”
While Khan added, “Just allowing a kid to take part in a local community soccer program, that’s, you know, we may take that for granted, but not every child has that opportunity.”
