Your supports after leaving care

What does leaving care and aftercare mean?

Leaving care is a technical term used in legislation. It means your care order has ended and you are no longer legally in the care of the Minister. This can happen when you turn 18.  

If your care order ended because you turned 18, there are a range of supports available to help you with your journey towards becoming a confident, resilient and independent adult.

This is called aftercare and it’s available until you turn 25.  

Aftercare may include financial assistance, access to information, referrals to services like counselling, legal advice and help connecting with family.

Where to get support after leaving care

Before leaving care, your caseworker should have created a leaving care plan with you.  It’s also known as a ‘transition plan', ‘future plan', or 'aftercare plan'.

Your leaving care plan is about you and your future.  

It outlines the supports you’ll need to help you reach your goals. It includes the decisions you’ve made about education, housing, health, finances and family contact. It also includes resources and people that will help you in your transition to adulthood.  

If you don’t have a copy of your plan or don’t know if you have one, you should do any of the following: 

• contact your caseworker or the agency that managed your out-of-home care
• call the Care Leavers Line on 1800 994 686  or email CareLeavers@dcj.nsw.gov.au
• contact one of the specialist aftercare services.

Your life might change and go in different directions after turning 18. Just like life, your plan is not set in stone and can be changed to support you.

You might need to buy books for a new course, need help with driving lessons or you’re about to become a new parent and need more assistance. The support and financial assistance in your plan can be reviewed to help you. 

If you’d like to review or amend your plan, you can: 

• contact your caseworker or the agency that managed your out-of-home care
• call the Care Leavers Line on 1800 994 686  or email CareLeavers@dcj.nsw.gov.au.

Remember, everyone needs support from time to time. Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask for help. Your voice matters and will be heard. 

Support for care leavers over 25 years

If you're over 25 years, you may receive aftercare assistance in special circumstances. For example, if leaving care planning didn't occur for you or if you were unable to progress parts of your leaving care plan due to health issues or parental responsibilities.

Considerations for providing aftercare assistance to care leavers over 25 years will include:

• your age 
• the reason/s for the delay in seeking assistance 
• the goals in your leaving care plan (if applicable) 
• the assistance provided to you between 15 to 24 years, and  
• the likelihood that the assistance will significantly enhance your life skills and opportunities.   

If you're 25 years or older and believe there have been special circumstances, you can: 

• contact your caseworker or the agency that managed your out-of-home care
• call the Care Leavers Line on 1800 994 686  or email CareLeavers@dcj.nsw.gov.au.

You might also be interested in seeking support from the Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN). They provide free counselling, resources, assistance with connecting to other services, social gatherings and other events to anyone who has grown up in a children’s home, orphanage, mission, or foster care.  

Accessing your care records and connecting with family

Once you turn 18, you're eligible to access records about your time in care. This is known as your care records. If you're trying to find family, your care records can help you start gathering information about them.

You don't have to access your care records immediately or access them at all if you don't want to.

It’s important to know your care records are only one part of your life story. Talk to your carer, family, caseworker and the people closest to you about any questions you have about your past. 

The process will often bring up many emotions and can be overwhelming. We recommend that you have someone to support you through the process. 

When you receive your care records, it may be useful to get support from your caseworker or agency that managed your out-of-home care to help you understand the information.

Only you know when you're ready to learn more about your time in care. If you feel ready and would like to access your records, download the Care Leaver Records Access Application or ask for a form at your nearest Community Services Centre.

To lodge your application, you can:

• submit your application in person with a copy of your identification documents at your nearest Community Service Centre
• email your application with a copy of your identification documents to CareLeaverRecordsAccessUnit@facs.nsw.gov.au
• post your application with a copy of your identification documents to:

  Care Leaver Records Access Unit
  Community Services
  Department of Communities and Justice
  Locked Bag 5000
  Parramatta NSW 2150

Once the application has been processed, your records can be sent to a support service, another trusted support person, or directly to you by secure email or post. These options will be discussed with you when your records have been processed.

Some agencies can also help support you to find family. These include:

• Specialist Aftercare Services
• Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN)
• Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies
• Link-Up NSW.

Key resources

See the links below for information that will help you with your journey towards independence.

• Your Next Step - information for young people leaving care
• Go Your Own Way Info Kit
• Care Leavers’ Charter of Rights
• Guidelines for the provision of assistance after leaving out-of-home care.