The call comes after a survey by the Office of the Children's Commissioner found that one in three care leavers felt that they had left care before they were ready for independent living.
The current age for leaving care is 18 for young people in residential care although young people in foster care have the opportunity to stay in care until the age of 21.
Extending the leaving care age would require investment, but would “bring great benefits,” Longfield said.
“When a child reaches 18, a parent would not wave goodbye to them for good and close the door to them, so we shouldn’t do so for children in care, who more than any of us, need a positive springboard for the future,” she said.
The survey, to which nearly 3,000 care leavers responded to, also found that more than half didn’t know why they came into care, and 46 per cent didn’t know how to contact an advocate, a service they are entitled to.
A report based on the survey findings, The State of the Nation Report 1, makes a series of recommendations.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
