#EndTheCareCliff
We want to permanently #EndTheCareCliff and the expectation of ‘independence’ asked of young people as they approach 18.
Living alone has been very difficult. I was in a very dark place when I first left care and I'm terrified of being alone... If there's nobody to go home to it breaks me.
⎯⎯ Max, left care aged 17
We are calling on the Government to #EndTheCareCliff.
What’s the problem?
Too many young people are expected to leave care before they feel ready, falling at a time in their life when they need stability the most. Young care leavers that Become supports have described that time as a “cliff edge” or “like being on death row, counting down the days” until their 18th birthday when their placements are abruptly stopped, and they are expected to become ‘independent’ overnight – often without the support that every young person needs to thrive.
Why is this important?
More and more teenagers are being failed each year by the system’s ‘fixation on independence’ and without the support they need to prepare for adulthood. This can lead to young people leaving care being at a greater risk of poverty, mental ill health and homelessness. Our young people deserve much better.
What needs to change?
We have been calling on the Government to #EndTheCareCliff, since National Care Leavers’ Week in 2020, by ensuring that no young person should have to leave care before they’re ready and ensuring that all young care leavers are provided with the support they need to be happy, healthy and fulfil their potential.
What do we want from the Government?
1. End the Care Cliff
- Make Staying Put and Staying Close schemes fully funded, opt-out legal entitlements for all young people in care up to 25 so young people can stay in their homes or connected to support without facing a care cliff at 18.
2. Create a homelessness safety net for care leavers by amending homelessness legislation to:
- Urgently introduce the exemption to the local area connection test for care leavers so they can bid for social housing in the area they were moved to when in care or move to an area where they have connections and support
- Make all care leavers up to 25 a priority need for homelessness support
- Exempt care leavers from homelessness intentionality rules, which can deem a young person has made themselves homeless because for example they have left their given accommodation or fallen into rent arrears.
3. Increase access to safe, appropriate homes by requiring all local authorities to provide a consistent rent guarantor and deposit scheme for care leavers.
For some young people, the care cliff sadly starts earlier at age 16 or 17 when they move into ‘supported accommodation’. We believe every child in care deserves care and #EndTheCareCliff.
9 times
more likely to face homelessness as a care leaver.
38%
local authorities provide a deposit guarantor scheme.
54%
increase of young care leavers in England facing homelessness, over the past 5 years.
The threat of homelessness is always there if you have been in care, no matter how old you are. You’re just always on your own.
⎯⎯ Matt
Read our report & key findings
We would like to thank the young people who shared their experiences, stories, and creative ideas.
With the right action now from national and local government, we can end the care cliff and make sure young people leaving care have suitable housing options and the right support in place every step of the way.
Our campaign stunt
On Monday 28 October 2024, we held a campaign stunt in and around Parliament for young people to tell the Government to #EndTheCareCliff. We also met MPs and gave them our report.
#EndTheCareCliff in the media
Read the latest news coverage about the campaign, including stories amplifying young people's views and experiences.
Sophie's #EndTheCareCliff story - The Mirror
'We're being forgotten' say young people leaving care as homelessness soars by 33%
Read hereKatharine, our CEO - The Independent
‘Appalling’ that care leavers are more likely to end up homeless, says charity
Read hereDuncan's #EndTheCareCliff story - The Mirror
Teen kicked out of foster home sent desperate message to social worker - 'you abandoned me'
Read here`Appalling´ that care leavers are more likely to end up homeless - Daily Mail
Become has called on the Government to move quickly on its vow to give those leaving care `the security they deserve´
Read hereYoung adult care leavers face 'appalling' higher risk of being homeless - Sky News
Become, a charity for young people in care, said it had seen "really worrying examples" of some feeling forced to leave care before they were ready to find housing.
Read here It was a big jump going from living with people who looked after me to just being dumped on my own. It was just like hell.
⎯⎯ Duncan
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...that's such a huge fear of mine, losing my home.
⎯⎯ Clara
2020: #EndTheCareCliff campaign launch
During National Care Leavers’ Week 2020, we launched our campaign to raise awareness of the #EndTheCareCliff alongside care-experienced young people and a number of other celebrities and supporters, including actress Samantha Morton, broadcaster DJ Annie Mac and podcaster Deborah Frances-White.
2021: Sky's the Limit
During National Care Leavers’ Week 2021, we launched a new group project – Sky’s the Limit – to redesign ‘leaving care’ and offer a fresh and aspirational vision for how the care system should be supporting care-experienced young adults.
We decided to think BIG and ask: What would it look like if care didn’t leave you? What should the care system be for young adults? What if the ‘care cliff’ didn’t exist? What would be there instead?
Our Sky’s the Limit project provided a blank canvas for 11 young care–experienced people to share their knowledge, memories, hopes and dreams and create a vision where care didn’t abruptly end but continued to help them reach their potential and lead happy, successful lives.
2024: Re-launch campaign
In October 2024, we released a new report with our latest findings titled ‘Support every step of the way’. We also organised a campaign stunt with young people we work with in our #EndTheCareCliff campaign group.
We don’t want little changes to the current system – we want a new system altogether that replaces what we currently know as ‘leaving care’.
⎯⎯ Our Sky's the Limit Young Design Group
Get involved to End The Care Cliff
Under 27? Care-experienced? We often have exciting opportunities focused on changing the system which care-experienced young people can get involved with. Sign up to join the movement below.
