Leaving care

If you are aged 16 to 21 and your child protection order has expired for the final time you can access post care support, referral and information services. These services will help you transition to independence.

You can receive support from a case worker, as well as access to brokerage for items relating to:

• Accommodation
• Recreation
• Education
• Health

To access this service, contact a Leaving care service provider or phone the Melbourne City Mission Leaving Care Hotline (see 'Contacts').

If you are transitioning from care the Leaving Care Mentoring Services can provide you with opportunities to interact with supportive adults. 

To access this service, contact a Leaving care service provider or phone the Melbourne City Mission Leaving Care Hotline (see 'Contacts').

Young people aged 16 to 18 years transitioning from out-of-home care, and those aged up to 21 years of age who need support after leaving out-of-home care can access Leaving Care brokerage funding.

To access this service, contact a Leaving care service provider or phone the Leaving Care Hotline (see 'Contacts').

Aboriginal leaving care aims to provide culturally appropriate support for Aboriginal young people transitioning from out-of-home care, including kinship care from 16 to 21 years of age.

The service has flexibility to respond to exceptional circumstances where Aboriginal young people:

• Require support to transition from kinship care arrangements and they are not subject to an order
• Are outside the 16 to 21 years age range and are no longer involved with Child Protection, but still require assistance.

To access this service, contact a Leaving care service provider or phone the Leaving Care Hotline (see 'Contacts').

This intensive education and employment support is available for young people living in, leaving, or who have left residential care - and who are disengaged from education, training or employment.

Access this service, contact a Leaving care service provider or phone the Leaving Care Hotline (see 'Contacts').

Springboard contact list (word)

Eligible young people can get a payment of up to $1500 to cover basic costs as they leave out-of-home care. This is under the Transition to Independent Living Allowance (TILA) and is designed to pay for items such as education, counselling, medical costs, fridge, driver's licence or any other agreed items.

Melbourne City Mission administers the TILA program in Victoria.

Young people aged 15 to 25 years of age who are leaving or who have already left out-of-home care may be eligible.

Further information about TILA eligibility is available on the Department of Social Services website or by calling the Melbourne City Mission Leaving Care Hotline (see 'Contacts').

This housing program helps support young people transitioning from out-of-home care who are at risk of homelessness with nomination rights to a limited number of transitional housing places. The target group is young people on Care by Secretary Order or Long Term Care Order in out-of-home care at risk of homelessness at cessation of their orders.

Referrals are made by the placement coordinator in each departmental local area or by phoning the Leaving Care Hotline (see 'Contacts').

If you are aged under 22 years and have been or currently on a Child Protection or a Youth Justice order you may be eligible to study under Skills First Youth Access initiative and pay no tuition fees.

Where can I study?

You can study under the Skills First Youth Access Initiative by enrolling at the following training providers: 

• A TAFE Institute or a Dual Sector University
• A Learn Local Organisation (LLO) that is a Registered Training Provider (RTO) with a current Skills First VET Funding Contract or
• The Centre for Adult Education (CAE) or AMES Australia.

What courses can I study?

The tuition fee waiver will be provided under the Skills First Youth Access Initiative to study the following accredited Government subsidised training:

• Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)
• Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)
• Certificate I – IV
• Diploma or Advanced Diploma courses
• Units of accredited training that allow you to be issued with a statement of attainment.

The list of Accredited Government subsidised training can be identified by referencing the current Funded Course List from the Department of Education and Training website.
 

More information

The Skills First Youth Access initiative guidebook and referral form are available from the Victorian Department of Education and Training website, or call 13 1823.

SORTLI ('sort out your life') is a fun, informative and easy-to-navigate, free mobile app for young people to help them with their transition to independence.

A young person can access this free mobile app that's informative and easy to navigate, designed for young people to help them transition to independence.

The SORTLI app is available from itunes (ios) and google play store (android).

See a short video about the Sortli mobile app.

The Go Your Own Way Info Kit is a resource for young people aged 15 years and above who are starting to plan for their transition to adulthood and independence. The kit is filled with resources and information to assist the planning process and provide caseworkers, young people and carers with the information they need to plan for a successful transition.

The Youthlaw Legal Pod Program provides free long-term legal assistance to young people who have recently left out-of-home care. The program pairs a young person aged 18 to 25 years who has left out-of-home care with a group of private lawyers (pod) for up to 3 years to provide a broad range of legal assistance and support.

Currently, the program is open to young people who live less than an hour’s travel from Melbourne CBD, with plans to make this program available Victoria-wide in the near future.

Youthlaw can meet where the young person prefers (within an hour’s travel from Melbourne CBD) or at the Youthlaw office in Melbourne.

For more information about the Legal Pod Program, email the Managing Lawyer or phone (03) 9611 2412 for a confidential discussion.