[1] It is helpful to remember that until the 1990's Canadian cities had very few homeless people, in sharp contrast to American cities for example, and street begging was rare; That is, if these youth remained in school, they received social assistance to cover rent and food
Although children who were made wards of the state before their fourteenth birthday may still be eligible for support and assistance until they reach twenty one, there is almost no protection in the child welfare system for older youth. Very little is available for those who enter care when they are over fourteen, even if the reasons involve abuse or sexual exploitation, and those over sixteen are, for all intents, considered adults with almost no claim to protection under child welfare legislation.
drop out kids are a liability
For example, in the 1998 provincial election in Ontario, an aggressive and punitive approach to young offenders was identified by a political pollster as, a good issue for the PCs to trot out as an election issue because it tends to appeal more to the PC voters. ... Everybody likes a tough stance on crime. ... If the PCs want to make it an issue and say, Look, the place has gone to hell in a hand basket, they could possibly do that (Rusk 1998).
. In the United States, Megan s Laws (sex-offender notification laws) are being passed in state after state. In Ontario we have a Christopher s Law to create a registry of known sex offenders, and a Brian s Law to force mentally ill persons into treatment (Mallan 2000). These laws are identified with a victim s name in effect a brand-name and not by content.
Para 3; 18 – 36; 40-57
which guarantees everyone the right not to be deprived of life, liberty and security of the person except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice