Young people transitioning from out of home care: a case study of Australian media reporting 2004-15

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care are universally a vulnerable group who have generally not received the ongoing care and support they need to transition successfully into independent living (Mendes, Pinkerton and Munro, 2014; Stein, 2014). Their not-so-good outcomes reflect a range of factors including pre-care experiences of abuse and neglect, the quality and stability of placements and other developmental supports provided to them by the out-of-home care system, and the level of assistance offered during and post their transition from care. Effective leaving care legislation, policies and practices can contribute significantly to enhancing their social and economic opportunities and life chances (Cashmore and Mendes, 2015).