Care leavers have been supported by social workers and foster carers for periods of time during their childhoods because they weren’t able to live with their birth families. This may mean they have fewer opportunities compared to their non-care experienced peers when they reach 18 years of age.
We need to work together as a city to nurture them into early adulthood, just as the parents of any young person would do.
There are a number of ways local businesses can get involved by:
- offering apprenticeships, work experience, training or employment opportunities
- providing guaranteed interviews for care leavers
- running sessions to help increase care leavers’ independence so they can move into their own homes
- providing life experiences, such as tickets to local sporting events, or birthday or Christmas gifts
You can also find out about ways to support care leavers through the National Care Leavers’ Covenant. Businesses, education providers and other organisations can sign up to the Covenant to pledge their practical support to care leavers.
To find out more about how your business can help care leavers in York, contact us.