Kathleen Marshall told a conference last week that frontline social workers concerned about the practice, attributed to a pressure on placements, had contacted her.
Children can leave care when they are 16 but can stay on until they are 21, depending on their circumstances. Scottish councils also have a responsibility to advise and help young people who have been in care until the end of their 18th year, unless they think they don't need support.
Marshall said that she had contacted senior management in councils who had denied the claims. But she added: "When I visit frontline workers, they are increasingly telling me that in many areas there's a push to get them (children) out at 16. I want to do something about that."
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