Commission’s support for CREATE’s Transitioning from Care Report

On Wednesday 27 July 2011, Commissioner for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Elizabeth Fraser welcomed attendees at CREATE’s Report Card briefing held at the Commission’s premises at 53 Albert Street.

Following the Commissioner’s welcome, Hon Phil Reeves MP, Minister for Child Safety and Sport, spoke about the value of the Report Card and praised the work of CREATE.

CREATE is a national not-for-profit organisation committed to ensuring that all children and young people are respected, listened to and active participants in decisions affecting their lives. The Commission has worked closely with CREATE for a number of years to explore strategies to achieve stronger outcomes for children.

Elizabeth expressed her delight at the opportunity to continue to work with CREATE in supporting the work undertaken to date to prepare the Transitioning from Care in Australia: An Evaluation of CREATE’s What’s the Plan? Campaign Report Card 2011.

Commissioner Elizabeth Fraser discusses one of the Report Card recommendations with other guests at the event.

The CREATE Report Card author, Dr Joseph McDowall, discussed specific recommendations that drew attention to the scale of work still needed to ensure that young people had the right support in the run up to, during and also after leaving care/transitioning to independence.

With only 31% of young people advising that they had a leaving care plan, it is not surprising that one of the report’s recommendations included the need to continue the What’s the Plan? campaign. Other recommendations focused on collaboration with government to develop integrated plans, establishing transition from care caseworkers, support for relative and kinship care and maximising the involvement of young people in planning. 

It was acknowledged that a greater understanding of the importance of promoting the benefits of after care plans to young people was needed.

The full Report Card can be found on CREATE’s website.

Last Updated: August 26, 2011

Print this page