Picture twenty-three young people, all between 16 and 23 years old, spending the weekend at beautiful Chowder Bay, Sydney…. It sounds like a dream get-away, but this scene formed the basis of the CREATE Foundation National Youth Advisory Council (NYAC) Summit for 2011, a four-day gathering at which Youth Delegates from every state and territory worked hard on creating better lives for children and young people in care. All of our NYAC delegates are young people who have been in some form of foster, kinship or residential out of home care.
The NYAC Summit is a real opportunity for young people to name the issues that impact on their lives, and to talk with key officials about making a change for the better.
Since 2008 CREATE Foundation has been focussing on improving the supports from governments that are available to young people when they turn 18 and are no longer under the care of the state. Over the years young people have told us they leave care under-prepared and lacking the supports that they need to make it in the adult world. There is still a lot of work to do.
View the 2011 Summit Report here
From the 2011 Summit a final report and action plan has been produced, which captures the ideas and goals for NYAC in the coming year. Youth Delegates and CREATE staff will be working with decision-makers in the out of home care sector to progress action plans in three critical areas:
Transition from care planning
Housing and homelessness
Health and well being
Youth Delegates are calling for improved information for young people around planning to leave care, improved health and stability of children and young people in care, and a reduction in the number of young people who become homeless after they leave care.
To hear more about the ideas and opinions of our NYAC delegates check out the NYAC Summit DVD below which shows some of the awesome work done at NYAC, and introduces our delegates and their plans.
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If you are interested in meeting the delegates of the NYAC from your state go along to your state’s Youth Advisory Group (or YAG). At the YAG you too can have heaps of fun and also have your say about what it’s really like to be in care.
For more info contact the CREATE office in your state on 1800 605 155.