Foster Care Victoria

CREATE Foundation has released a report calling for supports for children with experience of State care, including foster care, to be extended past the current cut off of 18. The story was reported by ABC this morning.

Although there are carers who continue to offer their home to children past their 18th birthday, there are many, many cases where young people are left to their own devices to navigate difficult housing situations, fiances, employment, education and other major accomplishments in life. Reimbursements for carers cease, as well as funding for case workers and other agency supports.

The carers and worker in the Adolescent Community Placement program (ACP) are well aware of the challenges facing young people after their 18th birthday and in the years leading up place emphases on imparting independent life-skills on those in their care. Nevertheless, its a massive and often solitary leap.

According to the report:

A year after leaving care, half of the young people have had a period of homelessness. Almost half will be unemployed, nearly a third of women will have become pregnant, half would have considered or attempted suicide, and almost half will have committed a crime.

The story is not new though, The Age reported this story back in 2005, and it was also echoed in SBS’s Insight program.