A youth in the Belleville area has been shuttled between a series of hotels and Airbnbs since November while staff with Highland Shores Children’s Aid (HSCA) desperately seek out safe, stable accommodation for the kids in its care.
A shortage of licensed beds at foster homes and treatment centres has forced agencies across Ontario to turn to motels, cottages and even office spaces, according to HSCA’s executive director Jess Uddenburg.
The situation leaves children and youth who are already vulnerable or have unique needs in an environment that places both them and the adults watching over them at risk.
“We’ve moved from it being a crisis to it being chronic across the province,” said Uddenberg,
