Come across a word that you're not sure about?
The following alphabetical list contains words, acronyms, and systems that are frequently used when talking about aging out of care.
Have we missed something? Contact info@agedout.com with your suggestions!
0-9
- 54.1 Transfer of Custody
- A legal transfer of the child’s custody from the government to a new guardian who's not the parent.
A
- AYA
- See Agreements with Young Adults.
- Aboriginal
- Refers to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. According to the British Columbia Adoption Act, an Aboriginal person is someone who:
Is registered under the Indian Act.
Has a biological parent who is registered under the Indian ActWho is a Nisga'a child.
Who is a treaty First Nation child.
Is under 12 years of age and has a biological parent who(i) Is of Aboriginal ancestry.
(ii) Considers himself or herself to be Aboriginal.
Is 12 years of age or older, of Aboriginal ancestry and considers himself or herself to be Aboriginal.
- Abuse
- Any physical, sexual, emotional or other maltreatment or exploitation.
- Advocate
- Advocates help people learn about their rights and unite their voices about their needs, issues, and ideas to create positive change.
- Aging out
- This occurs when a youth in government care reaches the age of 19 and is no longer in the care of the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
- Agreements with Young Adults (AYA)
- A legacy program supporting youth and young adults transitioning out of care that was phased out as of April 4, 2024.
B
- BC Services Card
- Lets you access the BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) for any medical service in BC. Formerly called a CareCard.
- Badges
- A visual representation of what activities you've done on your AgedOut.com profile.
- Birth certificate
- An official document issued to record a person's birth. Often used as a piece of identification (ID).
- Bursary
- Money awarded by an educational institution (like a trade school or university) to those who can't afford to pay full tuition fees. This money does not need to be paid back.
C
- CCO
- See: Continuing Custody Order.
- CareCard
- A term no longer used. See instead: BC Services Card.
- Caregiver
- A person designated by the government to be responsible for a child in care.
- CIS
- An acronym for Conditional Income Support; life-skills, training, and cultural connections funding for young adults between the ages of 19 to 27 under the SAJE program.
- Collectibles
- Rewards you get after you complete a quest on AgedOut.com. When you get five collectibles, you earn one badge!
- Continuing Custody Order (CCO)
- The legal document that brings a young person fully into government care. It's also referred to as permanent ward, a ward of the court, or a ward of the government.
- Counsellor
- A professional who provides counselling to address your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
D
- Daytox
- A medically monitored day program to help those with substance addiction to become substance free and to assist with withdrawal symptoms.
- Detox
- A residential program to help those with substance addiction to live substance free and to reduce or relieve withdrawal symptoms. Stays are usually five to seven days.
- Disability
- A physical or mental impairment that inhibits the ability to perform daily tasks.
- Disability Assistance
- Financial support for people with a physical or mental impairment that makes it hard to perform daily living activities and that is expected to continue for at least two years.
- Disordered Eating
- Unhealthy eating or exercise behaviours due to worry about body image.
E
- Eating Disorders
- Extreme cases of disordered eating that involve both frequent disordered eating behaviours and bad thoughts about food, weight, or shape.
- Employment Services
- Free tools, training, and in-person support to help job seekers find work.
- Eviction
- The removal of a tenant from a rental property by the landlord.
F
- FBCYICN
- See: Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks
- Fair Pharmacare
- A program that covers some of your prescription and medical supply needs. It's based on your yearly income and you have to apply before receiving coverage.
- Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks (FBCYICN)
- A a youth-driven, provincial, non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of young people in and from care in BC between the ages of 14 and 24.
- Foster care
- A living arrangement for a child who cannot live safely with their family of origin.
- Foster parent
- Someone who acts as parent for a child in place of the child’s biological parents, but without legally adopting the child.
G
- Government care
- Means anyone who has lived in foster homes, group homes, child and youth mental health services, addiction facilities, custody centres or independent living. If you were in one of those places you might have had one of these care statuses: youth agreements, , extended family placements, 54.1, continuing custody order, temporary custody order, voluntary custody order,
- Grant
- Money awarded for post-secondary education (trades, university, etc) based on the student's high grades or financial need, or both.
- Guardian
- Guardians are responsible for the care and upbringing of, and decision making about, a child.
H
I
- In Care
- See: Government Care.
- Info page
- A variety of web pages on AgedOut.com that provide step-by-step instructions in completing a specific task or duty.
J
K
L
- 2SLGBTQIA+
- An acronym that collectively refers to Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual communities. The “+” is used to be inclusive of people who identify with this community but aren’t represented in the acronym’s letters. Older variations include “LGBT,” “LGBTQ,” and “LGBTQ+.”
- Landlord
- The owner of a house, apartment, or condominium which is rented or leased to a tenant.
- Life skills
- Everyday skills that all young adults need to know as they become independent.
M
- MCFD
- See: Ministry of Children and Family Development.
- MSDSI
- See: Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation
- MSP
- See: Medical Service Plan
- Medical Service Plan (MSP)
- A program that covers most medical care in BC. You pay a monthly fee based on your income.
- Ministry of Children & Family Development (MCFD)
- The Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) is a ministry of the government of BC responsible for the guardianship of children and youth in care and supporting youth on YAG, SAJE, and independent living.
- Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation (MSDSI)
- The BC government Ministry responsible for social services, such as employment programs, income assistance, and disability assistance.
N
- Non-Insured Health Benefits
- Provides coverage to registered First Nations and recognized Inuit to support them in obtaining health care coverage not insured by other plans or programs.
O
P
- Permanency
- Anything that provides a sense of continuity or an anchor.
- Premium Assistance
- Helps low-income individuals and families cover the cost of MSP. If you are in the low income bracket you can apply for premium assistance.
- Psychiatrist
- A doctor specially trained in diagnosing and treating mental illnesses.
Q
- Quest
- Interactive ways on AgedOut.com to learn information on a specific topic.
R
- Real World Perks
- A real world perk is a gift card to a store of your choice. Once you’ve earned a gift card on agedout.com, select your preferred gift card choice and the AgedOut team will email it to you.
- Rights
- What you are entitled to legally, socially, or ethically.
S
- STI
- See: Sexually Transmitted Infection
- SAJE (Strengthening Abilities and Journeys of Empowerment)
- A program within the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) that supports young adults between the ages of 19 to 27 from any legal care status in BC.
- SAJE Guide
- Ministry worker who provides support to youth and young adults between the ages of 19-25 with SAJE transitional planning.
- SAJE Navigator
- Ministry worker who provides support to youth ages 14 to 19 with SAJE transitional planning.
- Scholarship
- Money awarded to students for having high grades or other achievements.
- Self-care
- Strategies to promote healthy living, like getting enough sleep, learning stress management, and problem-solving.
- Service page
- A type of page on AgedOut.com that provides information on specific services and resources for you to contact for assistance in a specific situation.
- Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)
- An infection that can be transmitted through the exchange of sexual fluids or through skin to skin genital contact.
- SHA
- An acronym for SAJE Housing Agreements; support for young adults between the ages of 19 and 21 to maintain their pre-19 housing or help cover living expenses.
- Social worker
- Someone whose job involves the assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of an individual.
- SSA
- An acronym for SAJE Support Agreements; support for young adults to help cover expenses while living independently between the ages of 19 and 21.
- StudentAid BC
- The provincial agency that manages student loans for BC students.
- Student loan
- Money leant to a student to help cover the costs of post-secondary education. The money must be paid back.
- Subsidized housing
- Housing that the provincial government partially helps pay for. You usually get money or rent assistance.
- Supportive housing
- Affordable housing that includes programs, advocacy, and support while transitioning into permanent housing.
T
- TCO
- See: Temporary Care Order.
- Teen
- A person between 13 and 19 years of age. See also:Youth.
- Temporary Care Order (TCO)
- Alegal document that brings a young person into government care for a six-month time period or renewed by Social Worker, this is a short term order.
- Tenant
- Person who occupies a rental property from a landlord.
- Transitioning
- The period of time when a youth in care moves from government care to independent living.
- Tuition waiver
- Used by some post-secondary schools to allow students to attend by removing some or all of the cost.
U
- UIS
- An acronym for Unconditional Income Supports; monthly support for young adults ages 19 to 20 to assist with living expenses under the SAJE program.
V
- Vocational
- Job-specific career training in a school setting.
W
X
Y
- YAG
- See: Youth Agreement.
- Youth
- A person between 13 and 24.
- Youth Agreement (YAG)
- A legal agreement between a youth aged 16 to 18 and MCFD to live independently.
- Youth in care
- See: Government care.
- Youth safe house:
- Short term emergency residential facility that provides a safe place for youth experiencing homelessness or family break-down. Youth can typically stay between 1 to 30 days.
Z