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A teenager who recently aged out of government care died on Wednesday in a tent in a rain-soaked bush area of Surrey often frequented by homeless people.

Bernard Richard, B.C.’s new acting representative for children and youth, confirmed the girl was 19 and had been in government care, but he said he couldn’t release her name. He didn’t know how recently she had turned 19 and would not say if she was aboriginal or not. Richard said he supports extending services to children in care past the age of 19.

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“I think some of these kids come out of very, very difficult situations,” Richard said. “As a parent, I know that my kids never aged out of my care. Kids who are in the care of the minister shouldn’t age out at 19. They should be supported through this difficult transition period. If they’re not supported, we know what happens all too often. To be cut off completely is not acceptable.”

In B.C., at 19, kids in government care are abruptly cut off government support. As The Vancouver Sun found in its 2014 series, From Care to Where, when children in care are cut off at 19, they face high rates of homelessness, unemployment, poverty, substance abuse and incarceration.