Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Until The Last Child (UTLC)

Until The Last Child (UTLC) is a Canadian charity focused on transforming outcomes for children and youth in government care by helping them achieve permanent, nurturing homes. Rather than operating as a front-line child welfare agency, UTLC works alongside existing Child Welfare Agencies across Canada, providing new funding, business expertise and other critical resources that complement public-sector budgets. Its goal is to close the gap between what agencies know they should do and what they can afford to implement.

UTLC channels philanthropic contributions from corporate and individual donors into evidence-based pilot projects, research initiatives and process innovations. These projects test and scale best practices in areas such as permanency planning, family finding, kinship search, and post‑permanency support, often in partnership with children’s aid societies, Indigenous child and family services organizations, and academic researchers.

UTLC’s portfolio centres on innovation in child welfare with a strong focus on permanency. Funding has supported pilots like the Bringing Families Together project in Manitoba, the Finding, Keeping, and Honouring Connections project in Guelph, kinship search programs in Ontario, and Indigenous‑led initiatives in Manitoba and Toronto. In addition to direct financial support, UTLC provides consulting expertise, technology tools, and process management to help partners improve efficiency and effectiveness.

The organization also invests in world‑class evidence‑based research, commissioning and disseminating studies on topics such as the economics of children in care, mental health, social impact bonds, and the over‑representation of Indigenous and Black children in foster care. These efforts aim to build a stronger evidence base for policy and practice change while demonstrating the cost savings and social benefits of improved permanency outcomes.

UTLC emphasizes measurable results and donor accountability. Its materials highlight cost comparisons between traditional foster care and new permanency‑focused models, and they reference avoided public expenditures when youth do not age out of care without support. The organization reports on permanency rates achieved in its pilots, often far exceeding Canadian averages, and stresses rigorous evaluation, metrics and accountability as core expectations in funded projects.

UTLC’s primary beneficiaries are children and youth in the Canadian child welfare system, including Indigenous and racialized children who are disproportionately represented in care, as well as unaccompanied migrant minors. By resourcing agencies to find permanent families sooner and supporting post‑permanency stability, the organization seeks to break cycles of homelessness, unemployment, mental health challenges and justice system involvement that too often affect youth aging out of care.

Through partnerships with business leaders, governments, academic institutions and community organizations, UTLC positions itself as a catalyst in the broader child welfare ecosystem—using philanthropy, research and innovation to help complete Canadian families, until the last child is home.