The Journey Into Independence

Leaving care is a significant milestone in a young person’s life and it is one of the most difficult and emotionally challenging times in their journey. After years of living in a risk adverse system surrounded by restrictions and rules, the prospect of independence can be exciting. No more rules, no more meetings, no more social workers, no more controlling adults.
The time to escape this system has finally arrived. Equally the thoughts of losing all support, having to fend for themselves, worrying about how they may support themselves if anything goes wrong can be overwhelming and frightening.
It is important to understand the issues that young people leaving care face and find ways of providing a new kind of support that will help ease the tension and support young people as they venture out of this system and into the world of independence.
This course looks at the leaving care and the issues young people face as they “age out” of the care system and provides a number of tools to help foster carers better understand what their young people may be going through.