Young people leaving care

If you are a young person leaving care, Tusla – the Child and Family Agency will work with you to create an aftercare plan and provide aftercare services to help you as you move into adult life in the community.

Young people leaving care at the age of 18 are entitled to aftercare services based on their assessed needs. Aftercare services include:

• In-person support (aftercare worker or social worker, drop-in service clinic)
• An individual plan (an assessment of need, an aftercare plan)
• Financial assistance (aftercare allowance, aftercare grant)

These services are described in more detail below.

You can receive aftercare services if you:

• Turn 18 in care
• Have been in alternative care services for 12 months between your 13th and 18th birthday

Aftercare services are usually for people between 18 years to 21 years. This can be extended if you are in full-time education up to the age of 23.

You need a referral to access aftercare services.

You can do this yourself by going to drop-in service clinics.

Or you can receive a referral from a:

• A social worker
• A social work department
• An agency
• Family/foster family member

There are no eligibility or age restrictions for attending a drop-in service.

Aftercare is a voluntary service, and it requires your willing engagement.

If you choose not to engage now, you can change your mind up until you turn 21 years old.

An assessment of need helps the aftercare service to work out the level of support you will need in the process of leaving care and becoming independent. The assessment of need looks at your:

• Education
• Financing and budgeting matters
• Training and employment
• Health and wellbeing
• Personal and social development
• Accommodation
• Family support

You will begin formally preparing for leaving care at 16. An aftercare plan is a personalised plan of action based on the assessment of need completed 6 months before you turn 18.

It is prepared by you and a aftercare worker along with your social worker and other key people in your life. The plan can be reviewed if circumstances change, or if you request a review.

Tusla’s Aftercare Drop-in service clinics (pdf) offer support and direct you to other supports and services. Any person that has been in care in the past can use this free service and there is no age limit.

The purposes of the aftercare drop-in services include:

• A point of contact for young people and young adults who have been in the care of Tusla
• A point of contact for foster carers and residential staff
• A point of contact for young people who have disengaged in aftercare services to re-engage
• An opportunity for a young person between 18-21 years to review their aftercare plan
• Support for accessing documentation or making applications
• To provide advocacy in accessing services
• To provide support for young people who require a referral to other services, signposting, and guidance and advice on entitlements

If you are doing a qualifying educational course or a training programme, you may be able to receive an aftercare allowance of €300 per week. This is available to care leavers up to the age of 23.

Tusla provides this and other financial supports to eligible young people leaving care (pdf).

You may also be entitled to other financial supports for education which include the SUSI Grant (which is payable at the higher rate for care leavers) and the Bursary Scheme.

If you are not in education and not working, you are eligible for full Jobseeker’s Allowance, if you were in the care of Tusla for 12 months before your 18th birthday.

You may also be entitled to an aftercare grant. This is a once-off payment to help with the first month of rent and a deposit. The grant can also include start-up costs associated with initial moving home expenses. To be eligible you must be a young person who turned 18 in the care of the Tusla. The application to get this grant is made through the aftercare worker or a drop-in clinic service (pdf).

EPIC

EPIC and Focus Ireland published Pathways (pdf), an aftercare guide for young people who are preparing to leave care.

EPIC (Empowering People in Care) is an independent organisation that works with and for children and young people who are currently living in care, people in aftercare and with adults up to the 27 years old with care experience. EPIC offers a advocacy service to children and young people in state care, and young people aged 18-26 with care experience.

Child Law Project

The Child Law Project was launched in 2013. It was established to:

• Provide information to the public on child care proceedings in the courts
• Conduct research
• Recommend how to deal with issues in the child care system identified by the research
• Promote confidence in the child care system

The Child Law Project reports on child care cases so that both professionals and members of the public can learn about how and why children are taken into care, and what happens then.

Tusla

Tusla has published its Strategic Plan for Aftercare Services for Young People and Young Adults 2023-2026 (pdf)