Leaving care support for migrant children and young people

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This web page is only an introduction and does not cover all the issues. For more detailed information on leaving care support for migrant young people, download the full fact sheet at the side and bottom of this page.

This page sets out the entitlement to leaving care support for migrant children and young people. For information on local authority care for migrant children,  see our fact sheets on local authority support for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and Children in care with immigration issues.

For information on leaving care support generally, please see Coram Children’s Legal Centre’s Lawstuff webpage on this issue.

The Immigration Act 2016 proposed significant changes for care leavers who have not regularised their status. However, these provisions are not in force and there is no indication that they will in the near future. 

What is leaving care support?

The local authority will normally look after unaccompanied and separated migrant children under Section 20 of the Children Act 1989. The majority of those children will be entitled to leaving care services.

The general aim of leaving care support is to provide the young person with parental guidance and support they would have received growing up in their own families.

Support from the leaving care service continues until at least the young person’s 21st birthday or up to 25 if in education or training.

The local authority should interpret ‘education or training’  broadly and can include a range of opportunities e.g.:

  • Basic skills courses (e.g. numeracy and literacy skills)
  • Vocational training and apprenticeships
  • Courses in further education
  • University courses
  • Post graduate Qualifications

If at age 21 they not in education or training then support from leaving care will usually stop. However, the young person is entitled to a personal adviser up to the age of 25.

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Download the full fact sheet

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