It was a little bit of mixed emotions because
I was turning 18
there's definitely that sense of excitement about turning 18 but then a sense of uneasiness about what the future might hold
I turned eighteen one month before my HSC was supposed to start & I was freaking out: I was thinking, who's going to be there when I need someone?
I’ve heard stories where
people who’ve been in foster care, they end up down the wrong path, and as soon as I heard that I was
“oh, what if that happens to me?"
I think the average age of leaving home is around 26 at the moment in Australia
Here we have young people who have come from backgrounds of neglect and abuse so a bit more behind the eight ball, haven't had those good starts
And yet we're booting them out at 18 and say fend for yourself
Japser is 17 years old and living in foster care
He’s in a stable home - but he’s watching closely as those around him - also in out of home care - hit the big 18
it's definitely those worries that once you turn 18 you're going to have to make your own way straight away
We can’t identify Jasper for legal reasons
At 18, young people in foster or residential care are legally required to leave care
This usually means finding their own accommodation and becoming financially independent
you have to move out, be more independent and sometimes that support's not there
When you're living with your parents you always have them to fall back on if things go wrong
if I wasn't 18 and if I wasn't in foster care
I wouldn't have moved out
I probably would have moved out the age I am now because I'm a lot more mature
I've finished school so I've got a full time job now so I would have been more prepared to move out on my own
Carla is now 21 years old
When she was 18, part of her was really looking forward to being independent
I was excited to be out of foster care because it's just so much weight on your shoulders being a foster kid
and explaining to everyone that oh I'm a foster kid and all that
but it was also, child protection felt like a safety net as well so yeah
In her first year out of care, Carla faced some challenges
She felt unsafe in her new house, decided to move out, but was then homeless for 6 weeks.
She moved from couch to couch, worried that she was becoming another statistic
I really didn't want to stay in a homeless shelter? I was like this close to staying in a homeless shelter - that means I've proven people right
that people who have been in foster care end up homeless and in shelters and
I don't want to do that
But this is something that service providers like Anglicare are hoping to change
it’s completely unrealistic to expect young people who have had histories of state care to make it out on their own when they just turned 18
The UK, the US and even NZ now offer extended support beyond 18
What we'd like to see is that the ability or option for a young person to remain in that foster care placement with the agreement of the carer through to 21
Or for a young person exiting something like a residential care unit, they're provided with a support worker
and a house and guaranteed resources through to 21
Hi Cassie
Hi Lil
How are you today?
Cassie and Lily have known eachother for around 7 years
Cassie was the coordinator of the residential care unit where Lily spent her teens
What happens if you’re in a house on campus and, are you signed into a lease, what happens if you get in there and you don't like your flatmates?
I love Cassie, she was kind of like a mum to me
I always knew, she was going to be there, nine till five, Monday to Friday. If i'd gotten into trouble you know she'd straighten me out
When she turned 15, and then 16, Lily began to worry
Not just about having to fend for herself, but about being legally separated from youth workers, like Cassie
In New South Wales there's actually a law, once you turn 18 they're not supposed to have contact with you until you're 25
so until you're completely out of the service
I think it's a conflict of interest
or like a professional boundaries kind of thing but it can be really hard
most of the youth workers were with me for four, three, five years
Luckily, in 2014 Cassie became the head of a pilot program that would provide extended support for Lily and others beyond their 18th birthdays
Some of the things I've provided support with could be hiding the cat when they've had a house inspection, helping them clean the house for a house inspection
providing support when the young person’s been sick. Either taking them to the doctor, sitting at the hospital with them
doing workshops with cooking, cleaning, budgeting, car maintenance
If I have really bad news. I just know that I can always call her up and talk to her and that she won't judge me
she'll just be there and say, 'it's alright, stop crying. It's good, you'll be fine.’
Lily is now 20, and preparing to transition to full independent living.
She recently got her licence with Cassie’s help
Well driving represented to me just like the freedom and independence, you don't need to rely on anyone
She's got a goal, she got a plan. It's just seeing her confidence grow. Lily's going to be okay
She's going to have a bright future. And I look forward to seeing it
I know most of the people my age are still living at home
they can have the option to live with their parents like without the worry of like intruding or
I have always support where people I can go back to anyway, but you just feel bad asking
longer support and more, more structured support would be better
let the young people know that there's definitely something there for them afterwards
we've got to finish off the job. We've got to care for these young people and make sure they're up and running by the time they're 21
I think that's a reasonable expectation for a state care system to have.