Homelessness is common for teens leaving out-of-home-care. We need to extend care until they are at least 21

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care – whether it’s foster, kinship or residential care – are disadvantaged in many ways. Many have experienced abuse, neglect, family hardship or illness. They may feel long-term grief due to family separation.

And while some enjoy stable placements with committed foster or kinship carers, others – particularly those in residential care, supervised by rostered staff – may experience instability as friends or support workers come and go.

Most exit the out-of-home care system at 18, or younger, without ongoing support.

Unfortunately, however, many such young people quickly encounter homelessness, unemployment and contact with the criminal justice system soon after leaving out-of-home care. Instead of leaving these people to fend for themselves at age 18 (or younger), we need a nationally consistent model of extended care that supports care leavers until age 21.

Read more: New bill in NSW could prove crucial to helping reduce numbers of First Nations children in out-of-home care^[1]

A tough transition

A 2021 study by the CREATE Foundation^[2] (which represents young people who have experienced out-of-home care) found homelessness was common among people exiting the system. Almost 100 of the 325 sampled care leavers aged 18-25 experienced homelessness in the first year after their transition.

Another study^[3] found:

More than half the 1,848 Victorian care leavers in this study (using data from leavers during 2013 and 2014) accessed homelessness services in the four years after leaving care, while one in three had multiple homeless experiences. Participants with experiences of residential care and multiple foster care placements were more likely to experience housing disruptions.

Another national study^[4] noted care leavers were three times as likely as other young Australians to have received social security payments.

Of course, many care leavers do integrate effectively^[5] into the social and economic mainstream. Some have difficult lives but still manage to cope, while others struggle to overcome adversity and social exclusion.

In general, those who achieve successful transitions tend to leave care later^[6] than 18 years of age and receive ongoing support well into their twenties from, for example

• foster or kinship carers

• extended family members

• formal mentors or neighbours

• friends

• members of sporting, religious, cultural and other community groups.

These supportive relationships, which mirror the assistance that most of their non-care peers naturally access from their parents, provide the social capital needed to acquire housing, food, clothing, a driver’s licence and entry into sustainable education, employment and training.

According to one young person^[7] who remained with their foster family in Victoria beyond 18 years:

I was in the same home for 11 years, they were like my parents so they didn’t kick me out or anything. It wasn’t like I was in their care; I was like a part of the family.

Conversely, those who experience troubled transitions from out-of-home care may experience social isolation, emotional adversity and hardship.

One young person from Victoria^[8] who was suddenly forced to leave care commented:

I mean if you have a kid, you’re not going to kick him out as soon as they turn 16. You’re not going to, you know, tell your kid that ‘oh you have to find your own way to learn how to drive or anything’. You’re going to take them by the hand, you’re going to help them with each of these things. Even after your kid’s left, you’re still going to, you know, check up on them, you’re going to go there make sure they’re eating properly, cleaning the place properly. I had no idea how to clean anything.

Young people who have harder transitions often include those in youth justice custody^[9] when they turn 18 years of age, some young parents^[10], those who have a major cognitive disability^[11] or poor mental health^[12] and some Indigenous young people^[13] who have been prevented from forming a connection with their culture, identity and community.

References

1. ^{^} New bill in NSW could prove crucial to helping reduce numbers of First Nations children in out-of-home care (theconversation.com)
2. ^{^} the CREATE Foundation (create.org.au)
3. ^{^} study (apo.org.au)
4. ^{^} Another national study (www.aihw.gov.au)
5. ^{^} do integrate effectively (createyourfuture.org.au)
6. ^{^} leave care later (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
7. ^{^} one young person (apo.org.au)
8. ^{^} One young person from Victoria (apo.org.au)
9. ^{^} youth justice custody (lens.monash.edu)
10. ^{^} young parents (www.aracy.org.au)
11. ^{^} cognitive disability (daneshyari.com)
12. ^{^} poor mental health (apo.org.au)
13. ^{^} some Indigenous young people (apo.org.au)
14. ^{^} Reunifying First Nations families: the only way to reduce the overrepresentation of children in out-of-home care (theconversation.com)
15. ^{^} Home Stretch campaign (thehomestretch.org.au)
16. ^{^} six out of Australia’s eight (www.celcis.org)
17. ^{^} Staying Close (assets.publishing.service.gov.uk)
18. ^{^} National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children (www.dss.gov.au)