According to the BBC, an estimated 10,000 young people leave the care system every year in the UK. Whilst some will have support from foster carers and social workers, others can easily slip through the cracks and be left with nothing and no-one. 

Whilst such an unsafe and unstable way of living shouldn’t be something a person of any age has to face, here at Simon on the Streets, we know that care leavers are at particular risk of homelessness. 

So what exactly is the connection between leaving care and facing homelessness? And what can we do to help prevent homelessness for the next generation and beyond? 

Reaching adulthood

For young people who have grown up in care, once they turn 18, they’re no longer classed as being in care, and there's no obligation on their foster carer has no obligation to continue supporting them. 

However, local councils must support care leavers in their area until they turn 25. And this includes, where possible, helping care leavers to remain in their foster placements beyond the age of 18. This is known as a Staying Put Arrangement. 

Although appropriate for many care leavers, for others this won’t happen, and they’ll have no choice but to leave their foster home once they turn eighteen. At this point, the risk of falling through the cracks is at its height, when care leavers find themselves in unstable hostel placements whilst learning to navigate adult life.  

The council must provide care leavers with a personal adviser to help them map out their next steps, but some care leavers report that this support isn’t always consistent. There are instances where care leavers haven’t received any contact for weeks or months, which can leave them in a desperate situation with nobody to turn to. 

Making a living

With little to no guidance around the transition from childhood to adulthood, it’s unsurprising that so many care leavers struggle to find a job and a safe place to live. By the age of eighteen, one in four care leavers end up facing homelessness at a time when many young people are making the move to university or starting out in the world of work.

Life for care leavers can look very different to that of your ‘average’ teenager. It can be very difficult living alone, working and or studying, without a solid support network to rely on when times are tough. Leaving care can be a challenging and lonely place to be. 

Children in care

The Department of Education found that approximately 80,850 children were in care as of March 2021. Many of these children have experienced abuse, trauma and neglect. 

Until we can offer more support for care leavers as they reach adulthood, the future for young children entering care remains uncertain, with homelessness being a real possibility. 

As part of our outreach work at Simon on the Streets, we help vulnerable people to break free from the cycle of homelessness. Whilst we work with those who are over 18 years of age, we’re committed to making things better for future generations. And that includes signposting those under 18 to the services they need in order for them to access practical and emotional support.

If you’d like to support our essential work, you can get involved with our charity by fundraising, joining our events or becoming a corporate sponsor. Together, we can help people facing homelessness to work towards a better future.