What's the Answer? - Create

• reviewing and reporting on TILA to ascertain whether improved outcomes have been achieved foryoung people leaving care; and• on-going development and implementation of nationally consistent approaches to non-financialsupport for young people leaving care (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009b:18).Developing a Work Plan for transitioning to independenceTo progress the development of nationally consistent working arrangements and approaches for theprovision of support services for young people in care transitioning to independence, the NationalFramework Implementation Working Group (NFIWG) – Transitioning to Independence Sub-WorkingGroup (herein, referred to as the NFIWG Transitioning to Independence Sub-Working Group) isdeveloping a Work Plan that will be submitted to NFIWG for consideration.Consultation with key stakeholders was initiated through a discussion paper developed by theDepartment of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA, 2010), whichdrew on national and international seminal research work on transitioning from care. The paperproposed an implementation framework based on a series of short-, medium- and long-term goalsfor a nationally consistent approach to transitioning to independence. The proposed framework wasbased on the premise that the success of transitioning from care to independence for young peopleleaving care is optimised when the types and levels of support provision take into account:• the individual needs of young people in-keeping with the cumulative effects of their pre-carefamily experiences and placement history;• the phased process of transitioning (beginning with a preparation phase, then moving to thetransition phase and culminating in an after care phase); and• a planned approach to transition identifying the required supports for each phase based onindividual needs the key areas of: safe and sustainable housing education employment financial security social relationships and support networks health – physical, emotional (including self-esteem and identity), mental and sexual life and after care skills. (FaHCSIA, 2010:4-6,8-12)CREATE Foundation was one of the key stakeholders consulted given that it:• is the peak national body representing the voices of all children and young people in out-of-homecare and advocates to improve the care system, through consultation with children and youngpeople, ensuring that their voices are heard by key decision makers in government and out-ofhomecare sector stakeholders; and• has produced two seminal research reports that specifically addressed transitioning from care(McDowall, 2008 & 2009).However, in accordance with the partnership arrangements set down in the Implementation Plan2009-2012 (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009b:30), consultation with “... young people themselves,as opposed to just those who represent them ...” needed to be sought as it is considered essential “...to getting the implementation and delivery of the National Framework right, because it is childrenand young people who will be most affected by it.”2