Getting your independence
The 15+ Team provides support to young people who:
- are about to leave care
- have recently left care
When you're in your mid-teens, lots of things are changing in your life. Maybe you're leaving school and looking at what sort of job you'd like, or thinking about the right time to make a move from living in care to being independent.
You might also be wondering about:
- where you're going to live
- how you're going to get money to support yourself
- how you're going to manage your money
We are here to help you make the move from care to independence as smoothly as you can and make sure you have all the skills you need to take care of things for yourself.
Leaving care when it's right for you
If you're getting older and are thinking about your future, remember that there's no rush.
Take your time, and make sure that you only move on when:
- you feel the time is right
- you know that you're ready
- you know you've got plenty of support in place
If you are care experienced, you have the right to stay with your carers until your 21st birthday, if you are in residential, foster or kinship care - this is called 'continuing care'.
You can receive support until your 26th birthday - this is called 'aftercare'.
To find out more information about continuing care and aftercare on the The Children and Young People's Commissioner website.