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Leaving care is a technical term used in legislation. All it means is that your care order ends and you are no longer formally in the care of the Minister. This usually happens when you turn 18.
Leaving care doesn't mean you have to leave where you are currently living - that is up to you and your carer to decide. Another way of thinking about this is that you've reached the time in your life when planning for your future is a good idea.
Planning for your future starts at the age of 15. This is to give you 3 years to work with your caseworker, carer and family to put together a plan - what is called leaving care or future planning. This plan stays in place until you are 25, but it can change and be updated depending on your needs.
Your leaving care plan covers how you will achieve your aims, who will help you, and will address things like:
You can find dozens of links to these topics under Key elements of a leaving care plan. As your plan is about you and your future, your input is vital. It's important that you talk to your caseworker so the plan will be a meaningful resource to support and guide you on your journey to independence.
The Care Leavers' Charter of Rights outlines key principles that will be followed to support care leavers as they transition to independent living. The Charter uses the voices of young people who are or were in care to say what is important to them, how they should be treated and what they expect from the practitioners who support them.
The types of support you may be able to receive are described in the Guidelines for the provision of assistance after leaving out-of-home care.
Aftercare assistance may include:
The NSW Government will be offering additional leaving care support for young people transitioning from care to independence until they reach the age of 21, from early 2023. Visit the Your Choice, Your Future page for more informatio
Even if you have turned 18 and you have now formally left care, you are not on your own. You can approach your agency or DCJ for ongoing support and advice. Contact:
People who have left care and those who are about to leave care are encouraged to get in touch with the Care Leavers Line if they have questions or are in need of support.
For information about services such as family tracing and other post-care services see Programs and funding for care leavers.
In circumstance where you are unable to contact your previous agency, you can contact a Specialist Aftercare Service instead.
The Specialist Aftercare Program is for care leavers aged 17-24 years who might need some additional support. It helps you work towards your goals by offering tailored assistance based on your needs. This can include general and intensive aftercare support, mentoring, group work, remote outreach support, and Aboriginal cultural consultation for leaving care planning.
You can either talk to your current agency about the program, or you can contact any of the Specialist Aftercare providers listed below. You may contact any of these services no matter where you are currently living in NSW.
Find out more on the Specialist Aftercare Program Factsheet for young people.
If you’re not sure and need help navigating services, don’t forget you can always call the DCJ Care Leavers Line on 1800 994 686 or send them an email at careleavers@dcj.nsw.gov.au.
* In partnership with Uniting NSW.ACT
* In partnership with Burrun Dalai
12 Nov 2024