Help for care leavers

Care leavers should be subject to positive discrimination, urges
a new report by the Action on Aftercare Coalition, a consortium of
17 children’s charities.

It urges central and local government and other organisations to
take account of the specific disadvantages faced by care
leavers.

‘Almost a positive discrimination stance needs to be taken,’
said Steve Harwood, policy officer for young people at the charity
Barnardo’s.

‘The special needs of care leavers are getting lost in the
general needs of the whole population,’ he said.

Harwood gave the example of education authorities not providing
special assistance to care leavers entering higher education. He
added there had been no improvements since the issue was raised in
Parliament following Community Care’s award-winning care leavers’
campaign two years ago, and he feared there could be a
deterioration in the next few years as political attitudes harden
in areas such as benefit payments.

The report calls for a range of policy changes, including local
authority support for care leavers to continue up to the age of
25.

– Too Much Too Young from 01268 520224.