What the New Lilo & Stitch Teaches and Misses About Foster Care
On May 23, 2025, Disney released a new live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch across theatres in Canada – a nostalgic return to a story many of us first met in 2002. The original animated film has long held a place in our hearts for its messages of belonging, friendship, and family. But this new version reimagines the narrative in a way that brings foster care and child welfare directly into the plot.
For those unfamiliar with the story, Lilo & Stitch follows a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo (played by Maia Kealoha), who lives with her older sister and guardian, Nani (played by Sydney Agudong), after the loss of their parents. Lilo is a lonely and misunderstood child, often getting into trouble while searching for a sense of connection. Hoping to give her some comfort, Nani takes her to adopt a dog from the local shelter except the “dog” is actually Stitch (voiced by Chris Sanders), an alien experiment on the run. Stitch may have been created for chaos, but Lilo quickly bonds with him, finding in him the companionship she deeply craved.
What unfolds is part comedy, part sci-fi adventure, and part social commentary. One of the more serious plotlines involves a social worker assessing Nani’s ability to care for Lilo. They give her just one week to stabilize their home or risk Lilo being placed in foster care – a moment that is meant to heighten the drama but also brushes up against real-world systems in a way that deserves closer examination.
A Familiar Storyline but an Incomplete One
At StepStones for Youth, we work directly with young people transitioning out of foster care and child welfare involvement. This film reveals an oversimplification of some very complex realities. For instance: Why does Nani — a young adult stepping up as a caregiver — appear to have no meaningful support from any system? Where are the programs, financial assistance, or community resources that should exist to support families in moments of crisis or transition?
The social worker’s expectation that Nani can overhaul her life in just seven days is also deeply unrealistic. In real life, this kind of timeline isn’t just improbable; it’s harmful. Representing the child welfare system as something that can make quick decisions within a week is a disservice to the public’s understanding of how foster care actually works. Youth and caregivers involved in child welfare often face years of systemic barriers, inconsistent support, and decisions made within systems that are often stretched beyond their limits.
A “Happy Ending” That Glosses Over Reality
At the end of the film, Nani ultimately agrees that Lilo should enter foster care so she can go to school and build a future for both of them. In a turn of events, a close family friend adopts Lilo, and the film ends on a high note with everyone together, smiling, happy.
And of course, it’s a movie. Movies are meant to resolve in ways that are satisfying to audiences. But when films depict foster care, there’s a line between fiction and fantasy that becomes important. In reality, most young people do not have the option of being adopted by a trusted family friend. Many do not experience stable placements. Many lose contact with siblings, face multiple home moves, or exit the system without any long-term support at all. According to the Ministry of Children, Community, and Social Services, at any given time approximately 11,700 children and youth are in state guardianship in Ontario alone and 1000 youth will “age out” of the system each year without the supports that an adoptive family brings. To suggest that things resolve so easily may unintentionally diminish the real struggles that youth with lived experience face every day.
Why Representation Matters — and Why It Must Be Real
The reality is that most people don’t understand the complexities of foster care or child welfare, and our perception is largely shaped by what we see in the media. That makes movies like Lilo & Stitch incredibly influential. When a film simplifies the emotional, logistical, and systemic realities of youth in foster care, it can reinforce harmful misconceptions. It also risks erasing the experiences of the very people it claims to represent.
We do want to give credit where it’s due. It’s meaningful that a film with this much visibility would even include foster care in its narrative. That’s a step forward. But if we are going to depict foster care, especially in media geared toward families, we also have a responsibility to show it with truth, dignity, and context.
Moving the Conversation Forward
At StepStones for Youth, we believe in supporting youth not just through crisis, but in building lasting, trusting relationships and long-term interdependence. Many of the young people we work with have experienced instability, cultural displacement, trauma, and the abrupt end of support when they “age out” of foster care. These are not small footnotes; they are defining challenges.
Media is a powerful tool for advocacy — but only when it reflects the lived experiences of those most impacted. That’s why we wrote this piece: to push past simplified narratives and highlight the real challenges young people in foster care face. A film like Lilo & Stitch can open the door, but it’s our responsibility to make sure it leads to deeper conversations, sharper questions, and a more accurate understanding of the lives behind the storylines.
Because when society understands the realities of foster care, it becomes possible to build better systems, stronger communities, and more meaningful support.
If you or someone you know is working in child welfare or simply wants to learn more about how to support youth with lived experience, we invite you to connect with StepStones for Youth. Representation matters and so does how we act on it.
