Whats the Plan?
A Care Plan should be developed for young people in foster or out of home care when they are aged between 15 and 18 years of age. A Care Plan is the responsibility of the Department and Case Worker to initiate and develop in consultation with the young person.
At this time some 65% of young people in care are without a care plan which means no plan for their future independence.
It is because of this CREATE Foundation has developed What's The Plan an advocacy and awareness campaign aimed at informing young people about their need for a care plan and supporting case workers and Government to initiate this process nationally.
So what is ‘What’s the Plan?’?
‘What’s the Plan?’ is an awareness and advocacy program to help children and young people be more prepared when they move out of foster or out of home care and into independence. This can happen at different times for different people but generally it happens when you are between the ages of 15 and 18 years old.
There are different laws for each state in Australia, but they all basically say that you and your case worker or resi worker need to develop a Leaving Care Plan together. The scary thing is that around 65% of young people in care don’t have one!
Your Leaving Care Plan helps you to plan what you want to do in the future. If you don’t have a plan then it is hard to know what you need.
In your Leaving Care Plan you should write down the steps that you plan on taking to help you on your way to independence and success!
Do I need a Plan now?
If you are over 15 years old you should start thinking about putting together your Leaving Care Plan. Think about where you might like to live, if you want to go to TAFE or uni when you finish school and how you think you will support yourself financially.
These are all important things you will need to consider so why not get started now?
Why do I need a plan?
When Cathy Freeman decided she wanted to win a gold medal at the Olympics she had a training plan and people to help her out just like when a business person wants to start up their own successful business they have a business plan.
Having a plan for your future is just like this. You want to have one to help you be as prepared as possible for living independently. You will know what you need to do, when you need to do it, who will help you and how you can do it.
Just think of it as your own personal step by step guide to independence – you can even tick things off as you go!
Who can help me with my Plan?
This can be different for everyone. Generally it’s your case worker or resi care worker, but even your foster carer can help if you are in foster care placement.