Shortly before her 14th birthday, Jane Le faced a wrenching decision.

She could go back to the family from which she'd been removed by child welfare authorities. Or she could become a Crown ward, severing her legal link with her parents.

Neither choice held much promise.

Returning home would hurl her back into all the pain and hardship she had escaped.

Becoming a Crown ward would mean living under the protection of the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto until she reached 18. Then she'd be on her own.

A disproportionate number of Crown wards fail at school, drop out early, develop drug and alcohol problems, get pregnant, go on social assistance and spend most of their lives in poverty.

Le elected to be a Crown ward.

Luckily, her story turned out better than most. Her own resilience had a lot to do with it.

But so did a groundbreaking scholarship program run by Hope for Children, the charitable foundation that provides "extras" - Christmas vouchers, summer outings, the chance to go to college or university - to young people cared for by Toronto's Catholic Children's Aid Society.

This year, the foundation awarded 72 scholarships, 39 to returning students and 33 to those entering a post-secondary institution. They ranged in value from $1,500 to $20,000.

Le was one of the returning students. Having earned a BA at York, she is now off to law school at the University of Ottawa.

"I think I'd like to be Crown prosecutor or work with a charitable organization like Family Services or Children's Aid," she said. "As a lawyer, I'll be able to help people. I'll be able to give back to the community that has given me so much."

Mary Bowyer, executive director of Hope for Children, says that attitude is typical. "What has struck me most is the large percentage who want to go into the social services to help other youths. These are some of the most caring individuals we're privileged to have in our society."

The scholarship program was launched in 1986 out of concern that Crown wards were ill-equipped to survive in the knowledge economy. They couldn't afford college or university, had few marketable skills and no family support.

"There was very little access to post-secondary education," Bowyer said. "It wouldn't be something they'd even consider in most cases."

Initially, the take-up was modest. Most Crown wards were struggling in school and impatient to get out. But four years ago, the Catholic Children's Aid Society hired an education advocate to work with them and their teachers. Since then, the number of applications has climbed.

Unlike scholarships that require academic excellence or athletic prowess, these awards are open to all wards - past and present - of the Catholic Children's Aid Society of Toronto. They are renewable annually.

Most recipients still need student loans. Le, for instance, is carrying a substantial debt from York and expects to graduate from law school, where the tuition is $10,000 a year, with a much larger one.

But the 24-year-old has overcome bigger obstacles than that.

She arrived in Canada at 6 years of age. Her parents had fled war-ravaged Vietnam. They spoke no English. They couldn't support their six children. They tried to raise them as they'd been raised.

"They didn't know any better," Le recalled. "I don't blame them.

"But I don't regret leaving. By going to the Children's Aid Society, I could stop worrying about the stresses at home."

Too independent for foster care, Le was placed in a group home with other girls. The freedom intoxicated her. At 16, her marks started dropping and she lost interest in school.

"Then I realized what I was doing," she said. "I think everybody needs a moment like that. I went back to school and got an 87 per cent average."

She was awarded a scholarship and attended York University. Now she is moving to Ottawa, entering law school and living off campus. "From here on, it's just hard work," she says.

Young people who emerge from the child welfare system as determined and confident as Le are the exception, rather than the rule. There are roughly 700 Crown wards in the care of Toronto's Catholic Children's Aid Society every year. Fewer than 5 per cent apply for scholarships.

But the number is rising. The graduates are returning to tell their stories. And the future is looking a little brighter for kids who got off to a rough start.