A voice that's heard
This Christmas create better chances for young care leavers
Up to a third of care leavers become homeless in the first two years immediately after they leave care.[1]
Leaving care
Do you remember being 18? Starting your first job or heading off to university? Hopefully, you had a support network to help you find your feet and gain independence. But what happens when you have no one to help, no one to fight your corner? When young people leave care, this is often the reality.
Today, 25% of England’s single homeless population are care leavers.[2]
Children growing up in care often lack the stability and support that we all need to thrive. They are often moved across different placements and parts of the country, sometimes miles away from their family, friends, school, and community, with harmful impacts on their wellbeing and life chances. And when young people approach 18 and leave the care system, they often experience a ‘care cliff’, with placements abruptly stopped and a lack of emotional and practical support that every young person needs to thrive in adulthood.
How Coram helps
Coram has been creating better chances for children since 1739. Today, we are a specialist group of children’s charities. Coram Voice champions the voices of children and young people in care, getting their views heard in decisions that matter most to them. We are there for young care leavers by providing them with one-to-one advocacy support. Our approach recognises that children and young people are the experts in their own lives and must be central in the decision-making processes that affect them.
Through the Coram Voice helpline and advocacy service, we support thousands of young people each year, getting their voices heard and enabling them to access their rights for instance in relation to safety, housing and entitlements.
There are currently 82,000 children in the care system in England, and at the current rate of growth of 2% a year, this figure is set to hit 100,000 within the next decade.
Donate
With young care leavers like Emily facing growing challenges this Christmas, we urgently need your help to be that support. Please help us be there for young care leavers by donating today.
Single donation Regular donation[1] Homeless prevention for care leavers, prison leavers and survivors of domestic violence. All-party Parliamentary Group for Ending Homelessness.
[2] Number of children in care could reach almost 100,000 by 2025. County Council Network. 2021.
[3] The Hidden Truth about Homelessness Report. CRESR.