Leaving Care and Additional Guardianship
Information Sheet
What does leaving care mean?
Leaving care means that the legal orders granting Child, Youth and Family
custody or additional guardianship have expired or been discharged by
the Court.
When you leave care as an independent young person you will be
expected to support yourself financially, find your own place to live, and
take care of yourself. If your custody order is discharged/expired and no
other orders are in place CYF will not support you and/or be involved with
you anymore.
If needed, Child, Youth and Family can continue to provide some support
after you turn 17 by having an additional guardianship order.
What are some of the good things about leaving care?
You have the freedom to choose where you live and what you do.
You will start to get your own money and be able to decide what to
do with it.
You are becoming an adult.
What you need to be aware of once you have left care:
You won’t be able to get support from Child, Youth and Family
anymore. This means you will not have a social worker.
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You won’t receive any financial support from Child, Youth and Family
– this means you have to pay for your own rent, bills, food, transport,
clothing, medical needs and education.
You will be responsible for making sure you have a place to live,
Child, Youth and Family won’t find a placement for you.
You are able to access your personal file that is with Child, Youth and
Family at any time in the future. This file is a record of your
involvement with Child, Youth and Family and contains information
about why you were placed in care and how Child, Youth and
Family have been involved in your life.
Child, Youth and Family’s responsibilities prior to you
leaving care:
Prior to leaving care, Child, Youth and Family should work with you to:
 Develop a plan for transitioning from care to independence at least 6
months but ideally up to 2 years before your 17th birthday;
 Help you develop the necessary skills to live independently;
 Assist you to find a course, employment and/or benefit;
When do young people leave care?
Usually young people leave care at 17 years of age. A custody order
expires when you turn 17 and an additional guardianship order when you
turn 20 unless it is discharged at an earlier time by the Court. Some young
people may want the guardianship order to be discharged earlier if they
are in a settled situation. You should discuss with your social worker and
lawyer whether this would be a good idea for you or not.
Who can I talk to about leaving care?
You can talk to your Child, Youth Family Social Worker and/or your Lawyer.
If you do not feel you can talk to any of these people you could asked to
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speak to your social worker’s supervisor. You can have a support person of
your choice at any meeting to discuss your future.
What if I’m not ready at 17?
Prior to turning 17 you should talk with your social worker and/or lawyer
about additional guardianship. An additional guardianship order will
mean Child, Youth and Family will continue to provide support past 17
years of age. An application needs to be made to the Family Court before
you turn 17. You and your lawyer can make the application or your social
worker can do it.
What is Additional Guardianship?
Usually our parents are our guardians but the Court can appoint others to
be additional guardians if there is a need e.g. CYF, other responsible
adults/family members.
When you are 17 or older, guardians help you make decisions about
important matters if you want help to do this. You can talk to your social
worker if you have any worries and your social worker can help you access
the services or support you need e.g. health care, counselling, education or
transport. In some circumstances Child, Youth and Family will provide
financial support.
You don’t have to go back to Court. Any arrangements you make are
between you and Child, Youth and Family.
Child, Youth and Family will still have an ongoing role in your life; however
it is different to when you were under 17 years.
If you are under an additional guardianship order you will still have a social
worker who will be able to support you personally, and with some of your
costs. You will be supported to access income so that you can pay rent,
but taking care of your bills and food will still be up to you.
An additional guardianship order expires when you turn 20 years of age
but can be discharged earlier by the Court if you or your social worker
makes an application.
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What other supports are available when I leave care?
Prior to leaving care, your Social Worker will:
 Ensure you have medical, (including eye examinations if necessary)
and dental appointments and where necessary see a specialist;
 help you buy appropriate clothing (including good clothes for job
interviews), toiletries, towels and bedding so that you have your own
things when you leave care .
There is $800 available from Work and Income to help you pay rent and
bond when you move into a new place. This money needs to be paid back,
and you can either make a payment each week from your wages, or if you
are receiving a benefit they will take some money out each week until it is
paid back. You can talk to Work and Income about how much you can
afford to pay back each week.
Your Social Worker can help you find out what other supports are available
in your community and show you how to access services that may be
useful in the future.
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