Now that I know my rights, I can help my parents learn theirs. I hope this zine similarily inspires you to learn your rights and share them with others. Your family deserves to be support and treated with respect.
Starlings YAC member, Peer with lived experience
Ages 16–30 | Use your voice for change. Work with peers to design stigma-free advocacy tools and advocate for rights.
Ages 6–12 | A creative resource for young people and their adult champions. Learn about your rights through stories, art, and reflection.
Ages 16+ | Join our 8-week mentorship program to explore identity, healing, and advocacy.
Who We Are and Why We Advocate
Starlings’ Youth Advocacy Council consists of youth aged 16–30 who have lived experience with the stigma of a parent's substance use and who have taken Starlings Youth Advocacy Program and guide Starlings Youth Advocacy. Learn more below:
Hit volume up to hear our children's rights lead, Cassandra, share about stigma at a conference.
Starlings Advocacy and Rights Collective Program
In Starling's ARC Program, is a peer-led space for young people (ages 16–30+) who have grown up with the stigma of a parent’s substance use, mental health challenges, and/or system involvement. Together, we learn about our rights, talk honestly about systems and power, and explore small but meaningful ways to advocate for ourselves and our communities.
Toolkits created by our youth leaders within Starlings Programs
Children Rights Toolkit
Our first-of-its-kind Children’s Rights Toolkit adapts the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into an accessible, youth-friendly guide designed for ages 6–12.
Mapping Our Rights
Mapping Our Rights” is Part 1 of 2 zines, exploring the different frameworks of children’s rights in an accessible, youth-friendly way.
Beyond the map
Beyond the Map” is a follow-up zine that highlights the gaps in existing children’s and human rights frameworks, as exposed by our YAC cohort.
Funds go directly back into our YAC program!
Our rights matter, too. Our rights matter, too.
01
What are Children's Rights? Children’s rights are the basic needs that all young people should be able to access to grow up safe, healthy, and heard. These rights are written in a document called the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), and Canada has promised to follow it. Children’s rights say that every young person, no matter their background or family situation, should be: protected from harm, violence, and discrimination; be able to access the resources, information, and supports to help them stay physically and emotionally healthy; to access mental health support that will help them heal from harm (and way more)! Children and their families don’t have to earn these rights, they’re yours, just for being you. But we know not everyone gets to experience their rights. That’s why at Starlings, we work to make sure young people impacted by the stigma of a parent’s substance use can access their rights without fear or shame. Because every young person matters.
02
Do children whose parents use drugs have rights, too? YES!! Just because a parent struggles with their mental health or drug use does not mean that they or their children do not have rights. You and your parent have the same rights as everyone else. This means you should be able to find resources, supports, relationships that support you without fear of discrimination or other harm.
03
What do I do if my or my families rights aren't respected? As peers, we have had our rights not be respected, or, we have witnessed the rights of our parents not be respected because of their drug use. If your or your family’s rights aren’t respected, especially because of their struggles with mental health or substance use, it’s okay to speak up, but we know not everyone will listen. You can ask for a support person to be with you, write down what happened, and reach out to someone you trust, like a teacher, advocate, or community group. It’s not your fault, and there are people and organizations who can help you be heard and supported.
