Currently young people and their carers can opt-in for care past 18Chauntell McNamara, who has both foster and adopted children, said life as a teenager finishing school, preparing to start work, or beginning at university or TAFE can be daunting enough without having to worry about losing a support network.
Young people and their carers are currently able to opt-in to continue care once they've turned 18, but Ms McNamara said it is not an effective way of operating."It's a very rare few that will say yes, I definitely need the help and accept everything I've been given." She yesterday moved a motion in the Legislative Assembly which urged the government to formally extend out-of-home care to the age of 21, along with better data gathering on the use of support services, and a taskforce to work out how to improve them.
"We're actually calling on the government to include the residential care of young people into the subsidy support." "The amendment moves toward a presumption that young people from 18 to 21 will receive ongoing support," Ms Stephen-Smith said."We know that young people move out of homes and then might move back in again, so we've got to really think about what that will look like in terms of the planning for young people themselves."
"Many young people rely on their parents and family for financial and other supports as they leave home and find their feet, however, young people leaving care arrangements do not have access to these supports," Dr Campbell said.