What's the Answer? - Create

Part B: KEY ISSUESBackgroundIn summarising her extensive review of the international literature, Tweddle (2007) highlighted what,unfortunately, have become common characteristics exhibited by youth who are transitioning fromthe care system to independence. Compared with their peers in the general population, they aremore likely to be:• undereducated (not have completed high school)• unemployed or underemployed• earning lower wages (if employed)• parents at a younger age• incarcerated or involved with the criminal justice system• homelessness at some stage of their lives• living in unstable housing arrangements• dependent on social assistance• experiencing mental health issues• without medical insurance (in the US)• at a higher risk of substance abuse.Not all young people experience this full range of negative outcomes when leaving care. Individualdifferences are observed, as Stein (2008) points out, because of different starting points and thediversity of family background and care experiences. He identified three different outcome groups,emphasising that each would require different types and amounts of support during and aftertransition. Stein defined these clusters as the (a) Moving on, (b) Survivors, and (c) Strugglers groups.“Moving on” included those young people who “welcomed the challenge of living independently andgaining more control over their lives” (p. 300). These young people made effective use of the helpthey had been offered and kept positive links with carers and some family members. The “Survivors”tended to include younger care leavers who had experienced disrupted placements and moremovement after exiting, often related to homelessness and unemployment. They benefitted mostfrom assistance from specialist caseworkers and mentors. His most disadvantaged group, the“Strugglers”, experienced the classic difficulties associated with care leavers and required most aftercaresupport. Their needs should not be overlooked even though they seem to benefit least from thisassistance.Costs of InactionAs summarised in the Transitioning to Independence sub-working group’s Discussion Paper forNFIWG, Morgan Disney & Associates (2006) have estimated that these different cohorts of careleavers cost governments within Australia an average of $40,000 per person per annum, with 55%being in the high-needs, high-cost categories.5