Storwell is Offering a $2,000 Bursary to Help Foster Children Pursue Their Post-Secondary Education
In response to the growing number of foster children and youth in care that struggle to afford post-
secondary studies, Storwell has developed the Storwell Foster Children Bursary program. Along with
providing accessible and affordable self storage units, Storwell is also devoted to helping out the local
community through various charitable causes and social initiatives.
A major issue for youth leaving foster care is the lack of family support. Youth leaving foster care often
have strained connections with family and may struggle to build a strong support network. While many
young people across Canada continue to rely on their parents for housing, financial, and emotional
support well into their 20s, youth leaving foster care are expected to be completely independent at the
age of 18. This means they may not have anyone to fall back on if they miss a bill payment, are
temporarily out of work, or a large expense comes up. This leaves many young people at risk for
unstable housing. Research shows a significant relationship between adult homelessness and a history of
living in foster care. A Raising the Roof study from 2009 with street-involved youth found that 43% of
survey respondents had also been in foster care.
Another hurdle that foster children must overcome in their pursuit of post-secondary education is the
stigma associated with growing up in the foster care system, which stops many students from reaching
out and asking for the assistance that they require. Hopefully, as more initiatives like the Storwell foster
children bursary become available and education about foster care becomes more widespread, this
stigma will begin to dissipate and foster children and youth in care will be able to receive the attention
and support that they deserve.
The aim of the Storwell Foster Children Bursary Program is to provide foster children and youth in care
with resources and opportunities that might be otherwise unavailable to them. With the proper tools,
these students can work towards building a better life for themselves through the pursuit of higher
education. Eligibility requirements and access to the bursary application form can be found at:
https://www.storwell.com/bursary-application