A The Kids Research Institute Australia report which found young people leaving foster care are in desperate need of more help transitioning to adulthood has lent strength to a national push to extend formal support to the age of 21, and has supported a trial of the concept in Western Australia.
The Kids research into life outcomes for young people who have spent time in out-of-home care found they fare far worse than their peers on measures including mental health, health, education, and involvement with the justice system.
In a report commissioned by the Department of Communities to help understand more about what happens to young people after they leave care, researchers led by Dr Melissa O’Donnell used deidentified, linked data to follow the progress of 2,003 young people – all of whom had spent time in care, such as foster care – until they turned 23.
The team found young people who had been in care were a highly vulnerable and disadvantaged group, at high risk of negative outcomes such as mental health disorders, justice involvement, and incomplete education.
“Of the young people we studied, only 18 per cent of those who had been in care completed their high school certificate, and just four per cent were likely to go on to university,” Dr O’Donnell said.
“These young people also experienced higher rates of hospitalisation, especially for injuries, mental health issues, and pregnancy, and other research has shown they are more likely to become homeless.”
The report revealed that many also became involved with the justice system, with 38 per cent receiving a juvenile and/or adult community-based sentence, and 20 per cent receiving a juvenile detention and/or adult imprisonment.
“The outcomes for young people in this situation are poor – but they’re even worse for young people who’ve had multiple placements and for Aboriginal young people involved with child protection services, who are over-represented within the system” Dr O’Donnell said.
Current policy – replicated in every state in Australia – means formal support typically ends for young people who have been in care when they turn 18.
“At 18, many young people are still in high school, so it can be particularly challenging to leave care at 18 and have to find their own accommodation and be completely independent,” Dr O’Donnell said.
“For these young people who have had significant trauma in their lives – and who often cannot turn to family or friends for support – it can be really tricky to navigate that independence.”
Around 230 young people exit care each year in WA after turning 18, with planning for leaving care starting at 15 years of age.
The Exploring outcomes for young people who have experienced out-of-home care report – released publicly today – has helped to fill a gap in evidence around what happens to young people after they’ve left care.
The report’s findings have added weight to the national Home Stretch campaign, which is asking governments around Australia to extend support for young people in care until the age of 21; and were included in the WA Auditor General’s Report on Young People Leaving Care, which contributed to the WA Government’s decision to back a Home Stretch trial – only the second state in Australia to agree to this.
“It was clear from our report, together with earlier research, that many care leavers desperately require support beyond the age of 18,” Dr O’Donnell said. “We’re pleased that the State Government has committed to trial an extension of that support.”
Announced by Community Services Minister Simone McGurk in March this year, the Government will partner with Anglicare WA to implement a 12-month trial providing extra support for 15 young people who’ve recently left care. The trial is expected to begin within coming months.
Anglicare WA chief executive Mark Glasson said extending the leaving care age to 21 not only made sense, but would make a tangible difference to improved outcomes for young people.
“In the UK and parts of the US where initiatives similar to Home Stretch have been introduced, homelessness has halved, while engagement in education has doubled and significantly increased in employment and training,” Mr Glasson said.
“I have no doubt Western Australia’s upcoming trial will comprehensively demonstrate the same indisputable benefits. Critical to our design process was the involvement of young people who have now left State care, as they know, from lived experience, what those taking part in the trial will need.”
Jacqui Reed, chief executive of CREATE Foundation – the national consumer body representing children and young people with out-of-home care experience, which is helping to co-design the trial – applauded the Institute and the Department’s commitment to understanding the needs of vulnerable children and young people into early adulthood.
“These new results concur with previous independent research, reinforcing the urgent need for better access to and provision of housing and support through key relationships and networks which many others enjoy beyond turning 18,” Ms Reed said.
About the report
- The Kids Research Institute Australia’s Developmental Pathways and Social Policy team was commissioned by the Department of Communities to investigate outcomes for children who had experienced out-of-home care, up until 23 years of age
- The project used linked data from government agencies, including the WA Departments of Health, Education, Justice, and Communities, to investigate physical and mental health, academic and justice outcomes for almost 15,000 children born in WA between January 1990 and June 1995
- The research compared the progress of 2,003 young people who had been in out-of-home care with 2,761 maltreated children who had not entered care, and 9,955 children who had no child protection contact
- Findings for those who had been in care included:
- 80 per cent had not completed a high school certificate
- 4 per cent were university-bound
- 27 per cent had a mental health contact
- 20 per cent had a juvenile detention and/or adult imprisonment
- 38 per cent had a juvenile and/or adult community-based sentence.
The full report can be downloaded here.
