Changing the future for care leavers

Blog

In the last sitting week of the year, the Victorian Government made a historic announcement that will change the lives of children and young people in out-of-home care and those transitioning out of it.

Anglicare Victoria and Home Stretch welcome the Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Supporting Stable and Strong Families) Bill 2025, which places responsibility for the well-being of vulnerable children across the whole of government.

The change means that ministers, departments and the Police Commissioner will share responsibility for improving outcomes for vulnerable young people and families, rather than leaving it solely to the child protection system.

Importantly, they will need to table their commitments in Parliament, so they are publicly visible and their effectiveness in doing so can be measured.

National Home Stretch Chair Paul McDonald said the reform had the potential to transform the lives and outcomes of young people leaving care.

“This is an enormously important piece of legislation for care leavers,” Mr McDonald said.

“It will make a huge positive difference for a group of young people who experience some of the worst outcomes in the community.

“By making child wellbeing everybody’s business, Victoria is taking a smart, evidence-based approach that we know works. They are leading the way in Australia by introducing this legislation.”

Similar models have delivered strong results overseas and attracted political support across parties and jurisdictions.

“This approach has been highly effective in countries like the UK and Scotland, where governments have acted as a ‘corporate parent’ for young people in care,” he said.

“It is encouraging to see Victoria adopt a model that is proven, practical and supported internationally by leaders on both sides of politics. We look forward to other jurisdictions introducing similar laws.”

Mr McDonald said the Home Stretch campaign’s long-term advocacy was critical in securing this reform.

“This is a fantastic outcome. It reflects years of advocacy by Home Stretch and our partners,” he said.

“In particular, the Victorian Government’s engagement with international expert Mark Riddell and the sustained and sometimes intensive discussions with Home Stretch over the past 12 months have been key in achieving this result.”

Home Stretch was established in 2016 and successfully campaigned to extend care to the age of 21 across every state and territory. The campaign is now focused on ensuring governments continue to support young people as good parents would, well beyond the point they formally leave care.

“Good parents don’t stop being parents at 18,” Mr McDonald said. “Neither should the state.”