More low-income families and children aging out of foster care will benefit from a program between Telus, the B.C. government and the Children's Aid Foundation of Canada.
It means as many 25,000 eligible B.C. families will receive a letter from the Ministry of Social Development allowing them to purchase internet at a cost of $9.95 a month for two years, and it includes access to low-cost, refurbished computers, and online safety training.
Poverty Reduction Minister Shane Simpson says many people can't afford such basic technologies and they know that children who live in homes without internet access have a lower graduation rate.
Telus president Darren Entwistle says the firm will partner with Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada to expand a program for youth aging out of foster care by offering a free smartphone and plan.
He says the offer is going out to more youth in B.C. and it's being expanded to children in Manitoba and New Brunswick, with the expectation that 20,000 youth will take advantage of the offer.