Alaina Johnston

Separated Children in the Canadian Context: a Systemic Dilemma Alaina Johnston

Separated children, or "unaccompanied minors" are under the age of 16 and arrive in Canada either alone, or with a caregiver who is inappropriate, a stranger or not their parent. Many of them come having experienced, war, trauma, rape, or among other issues, threats of genocide. In the Canadian child welfare system they are technically "abandoned children" but have very unique needs. They deserve to be cared for and have their needs met once they enter this country, however there is little data on the subject. As these children most often attempt to enter Canada with fake documentation and false stories this poses a problem for immigration officials, who control the border. The research completed for this paper looks into the experiences of adults who were separated children in the Greater Toronto Area. It highlights the lived experiences of being children in a foreign land without the presence of parents or previous caregivers, and how they were cared for, or not cared for. Information was also gathered from professional social worker?s who work directly with this marginalized group of children, and assists in showing the unique needs they have and the problems that they face.