Over 15,000 children and young persons are living in out-of-home care in New South Wales, some living in kinship, pre-adoptive, guardian and foster arrangements but many in hotels, motels, serviced apartments and group homes. State care in these arrangements gets cut at 21 and while some support is given to help young people transition, it is not the same as growing up in a family where support is often provided well into adulthood – particularly during the current cost of living crisis which is seeing adults live at home well into their 20s and even 30s.

The loss of support sees many care leavers become homeless and in Parliament I called on the government, to broaden help when out-of-home care ends. Care leavers should be eligible for priority housing as done in Victoria and provided with a third-party mentor during early adulthood as done in other states. California has introduced free tertiary education for care leavers, which would give them life opportunities and provide pathways out of poverty and disadvantage.

Care leavers have had their lives disrupted at no fault of their own and adulthood can provide an opportunity for them to get their lives on track. But they need support to do this, and that support must come from their legal parents – the New South Wales government – which must continue into adulthood as it does for most young people. My speech > HERE.