Approaches to realising the rights of young people leaving out of home care

The United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) recognizes that children in out of home care are entitled to special protection to promote their physical and psychological recovery. The Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, which are intended to enhance implementation of the UNCRC, also acknowledge the importance of transitional and aftercare support. The Chapter explore progress towards realizing the rights of young people in and leaving out of home care in Australia, Sweden and the UK. The emerging picture is that in all these jurisdictions have some way to go to meet the standards enshrined in the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children, and that young people with the most complex needs are not currently sufficiently empowered or enabled to exercise their rights. Findings also re-iterate the importance of proactively engaging with young people to help them build and maintain a network or relationships which will assist them to access both formal and informal support, as and when they need it.