The Joy MacPhail Youth Bursary accepts applications from youth who have joined their family by legal adoption or other forms of permanency. One $3000 bursary is awarded each year.
The Joy MacPhail Youth Bursary was created in recognition of Joy’s significant contributions to adoption in British Columbia. It was established in 2022 with funding from the Face the World Foundation.
About Joy MacPhail
During her time as Minister of Social Services, Joy MacPhail played a key role in advocating for the passage of the Adoption Act of BC. The Act made British Columbia the first province in Canada to open its adoption records and to allow same-sex couples to adopt.
“Throughout my 15 years as an elected official, the passage of the Adoption Act of BC in 1995 stands out for me as my most important contribution,” says Joy.
“The entire community—adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents—worked tirelessly with me to modernize the legislation governing adoption. With this act, BC became the first province in Canada to have open adoption records and to allow adoption by same sex couples. The act became a global model and changed families’ lives forever.
“It is a great honor (and very humbling) that Face the World Foundation has created a bursary in my name for youth who joined their family through adoption or other forms of permanency.”
Eligibility
Requirements
- You are currently a BC resident.
- You are a youth who has joined their family by legal adoption or other forms of permanency.
- You are between the ages of 17 and 26 by the date of the application deadline.
- You are registered, or plan to be registered, in a post-secondary program at an accredited BC institution resulting in a degree or diploma. Recipients will be required to provide proof of enrollment.
You are eligible and encouraged to apply for this bursary even if you are currently receiving funding from the Provincial Tuition Waiver Program.
Timeline
2024 bursary applications are now closed. Learn more about this year’s recipients.
