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End of state care too abrupt The Victorian Government is failing to meet its responsibility to young people leaving its care, according to two new reports. The reports accuse the Government of abandoning those in its care when they reach the age of 18, leaving many of them woefully unprepared for independent living. Both reports demand legislative changes to guarantee support for those leaving care until they reach the age of 25. The first report, to be launched on Thursday by MacKillop Family Services, asked former case managers about the fates of 33 young people who had left state care between 2002 and 2003. The report found that, one year later, more than one quarter were in “unstable” or “transient” housing. The case managers also reported that within a year they had lost contact with up to one-third of the young people who had left care. It was likely that many of the young people with whom there was no ongoing contact were not in stable housing, leading to continuing homelessness, the report said. One-third of the young people concerned were unemployed, and 15 per cent were considered to be in poor health. The MacKillop report was also critical of the fact that while the average person now left home aged 24 and had a range of family and social support, those in care were expected to become independent at 18, with little or no support. Another report, by Monash University social work academics Dr Philip Mendes and Badal Moslehuddin, found that little positive change had occurred since a damning 1996 Victorian Auditor-General's report criticising the Department of Human Services for failing to provide specific post-care programs. The Monash report blames a “lack of activism” by the department and successive Victorian governments, Liberal and Labor. According to the department's figures, 379 young people left state care between 2002 and 2003, with 40 per cent returning to their families. In a written statement, a department spokesman said much help was available to young people leaving care. He said the department provided mentoring services, and funded a $4.8 million “independent living skills” program and a $20 million program to provide intensive therapeutic services for children and young people who had suffered significant abuse. But, Dr Mendes said, this was not enough. “The programs that have been introduced are fragmented and limited in scope. These projects are not assisting high-risk young people,” he said, “particularly people with intellectual disabilities, mental health or substance abuse issues. There need to be uniform ongoing programs, and it needs to be legislated because that gives you a guarantee of support.” Victoria's child protection legislation is now under review by the State Government. “Julia”, 19, who did not want her real name used, said it was “overwhelming” to be asked to leave the system at 18, with few life skills and little support, after growing up in state care. “There are units that teach kids some skills like cooking, but where I came from they didn't,” she said. "I was from a high-risk unit, so it was more about keeping you alive than planning for 12, 18 months ahead.” Julia said the department needed to provide those leaving state care with the same opportunities as everyone else. “Normal kids keep going home to their parents. What do we have? It's about making sure you have a foundation of support.”
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