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We are decreasing barriers to support and increasing hope for young people growing up with the stress and stigma of a parent's substance use through peer support, leadership and systems change advocacy. 

What do we do?

Through a rights-based, healing-centred, and family-engaged approach that promotes emotional and relational healing, we strengthen peer leadership, family supports and community capacity to centre youth voices, shift narratives, restore identity beyond shame, and support young people and their families. 

Who We Are

We are led by passionate peers and fierce allies.

Young people with lived and living experience of a parent’s substance use are at the heart of everything we do: creating resources, shaping research, and leading change. We honour peer wisdom as valid, powerful, and essential. For too long, these voices have been pushed aside. At Starlings, they lead. We grow peer leaders through mentorship, storytelling, skill-building, and care.

01

Connecting Our Stories to Lead Change
Free 8 week virtual peer mentorship program with 1:1 coaching.

02

Youth & Young Adult Advocacy Council
YYAC meets bimonthly to amplify, develop, and lead resources and tools for peers.

03

Knowledge Equity Team
KE team meets bi-monthly to explore new research and policies, making them relevant and accessible to our community.

Upcoming Events

Joining Starlings and understanding that the reason I was being misunderstood or brushed off time after time was not me or my family, but the stigma external to us, made a huge difference in how I perceived myself, my parents, and the social interactions around parental substance use. Furthermore, connecting with others with similar experiences provided me with a compassionate community. 

Starlings Peer, Board Member

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We are all apart of the village that is raising today's youth. How can we best contribute?

We are grateful for the support of our community champions and funders, including:

We have provided workshops, consulting services, resources, and training to more than 40 organizations across Canada. Will you be next to join us?

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