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• Link young people in with local community linkages, such a Youth Islamic Centre or local churches,as they are a positive influence and have social support frameworks in place, such as people youcan turn to after you’ve left care.• Start the planning process earlier.• Have dedicated workers to support young people after 18 years of age.• Provide more accommodation options for young people transitioning from care, based on theirdifferent needs including transitional housing and share accommodation.• Provide more support for young people with a care experience who become young mums anddads.• Make the TILA processes fairer.Case Study 2: A Disability PerspectiveBackgroundGeorgia has an intellectual disability and, being 18 years old, is currently completing Grade 12 at aspecial school in Victoria. Georgia had been living in a residential unit with three other girls, but isnow residing in supported accommodation with two other women, aged 44 and 46 years. She ishappy in the supported accommodation, as she thinks her current living arrangements are so muchbetter than before – she has more freedom and gets along well with the older women.Leaving care planningGeorgia did have workers talk to her about what would happen once her Child Protection Orderfinished. She did have a Leaving Care Plan. The planning commenced when she was 17 years old. Itwas during this process that the workers asked her where she wanted to live and she was supportedto visit her current accommodation before permanently residing there. To help Georgia to developlife skills to assist her to live independently, such as cooking and cleaning, a support worker has beenarranged to ‘come in’ on a regular basis.Solutions for governmentGeorgia based her suggestions for solutions to better support young people with a disabilitytransitioning from care on the positive aspects she has experienced with her transition process. Shewants all young people with a disability who are transitioning from care to independence to have:• greater participation and choice for young people in leaving care planning• gradual transitioning for young people to post care accommodation• more programs and workers to support young people in developing life skills.34
Case Study 3: An Aboriginal PerspectiveBackgroundMandy is a 19 year old Kabi Kabi woman (Aboriginal language group of South East Queensland), andalso identifies as an Australian South Sea Islander (ASSI). She was in and out of care from the age ofone, primarily residing in foster care. Within Mandy’s last two years of care (aged 16-18 years), shehad three foster care placements, and five residential placements. When she turned 18 years old, shestayed for four months in a mental health hospital, transitioned to a hotel for a week, stayed with afriend for approximately six months, and then became homeless. After six months of homelessness,Mandy moved back home to her birth family.Leaving care planningWorkers did talk to Mandy about what would happen once her Child Protection Order finished. Herformal transition planning did not commence until she was 17 years old. As no attention was given toher cultural heritage within the planning process, nor efforts made to link her to her extended familyand cultural communities, once she entered hospital her Leaving Care Plan was of no use to her.Furthermore, no one from the Department came to talk to her about her options.NeedsMandy’s specific needs regarding transitioning from care to independence centre round her identityand connection to her extended family and cultural communities. She stated there were no effortsmade to link her in with her extended family in Rockhampton, Cairns and Brisbane.BarriersMandy considers that her barriers to accessing support services were:• a lack of information regarding Indigenous specific organisations• a lack of acknowledgement of her ASSI background as being part of her cultural heritage• a lack of ASSI specific organisations. She also stated that it was difficult to establish herAboriginal/ASSI cultural identity when she is fair skinned; it is especially difficult for young peoplewho have lost connections to family and community after being in care as they struggle to answerthe question, “Who’s your mob?”.Solutions for governmentFor governments to better support young people from her cultural group transition from care,Mandy suggested a number of actions.• Introduce a ‘relationship program’ to support young people with essential insights andunderstandings they need when they reunite with their birth families.• Developing new policies and practice guidelines to acknowledge ASSI cultural backgrounds ofchildren and young people.• Enforcing policies regarding connecting children and young people to culture, as well as the ChildPlacement Principle.35
Page 3: TABLE OF CONTENTSPart A: BACKGROUND
Page 6 and 7: • reviewing and reporting on TILA
Page 8 and 9: The YAG consultations included spec
Page 10 and 11: These workers projected that the ov
Page 12 and 13: Planning needs to ensure that young
Page 14 and 15: The remainder of this Report detail
Page 16 and 17: ProcedureThe focus group questions
Page 18 and 19: PREPARATION PHASEISSUESYOUNG PEOPLE
Page 20 and 21: “...it should be made that a youn
Page 22 and 23: • Lack of support for young peopl
Page 24 and 25: PlanningISSUESAFTER CARE INDEPENDEN
Page 26 and 27: SummaryThe solutions identified by
Page 28 and 29: Appendix AStage 1: Initial Consulta
Page 30 and 31: • Young people transitioning from
Page 32 and 33: Age• Age - not being 18 can limit
Page 34 and 35: No preference• I don’t care if
Page 36 and 37: 2. Did you (do you) have a Leaving
Page 40 and 41: Case Study 4: A Mental Well-being P
Page 42 and 43: Appendix EStage 2: NYAC ForumQuesti
Page 44 and 45: Appendix FStage 3: NYAC ForumForum
Page 46 and 47: • Different educational pathways
Page 48 and 49: Independent living skills• There
Page 50 and 51: Connections to community the young
Page 52 and 53: Appendix GBest Practice ExamplesBes
Page 54: Leaving Care BrokerageBrokerage is
Page 57 and 58: Best Practice Example: Young People
Page 59: Centrelink Brochure targeting young
Page 63 and 64: 3. Service response: increase the c
Page 65 and 66: Types of employment Applying for wo
Page 67 and 68: 2. CREATE Your Future Intensive Pro
Page 69: 5. CREATE Your Future Grant SchemeT

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