Access to Transition Planning and Support for Young People Who Self-Place When in Out-Of-Home Care: The Perspectives of Young People and Practitioners

This paper explores the experiences of young people in Queensland, Australia, under child protection orders who leave approved out-of-home care placements (e.g., foster; residential care) to stay in unapproved locations (e.g., sleeping on the streets; staying with friends, family/kin, or strangers). This phenomenon is commonly referred to as ‘self-placing’. Young people who self-place are at increased risk of homelessness, exploitation, contact with the justice system, and disconnection from support services, including education and health care. We argue that this disconnection from formal support impedes their access to transition care planning and support—factors internationally recognised as essential for enhancing outcomes for care leavers. Our paper draws on qualitative interviews with 11 young people with experience of self-placing and focus group data involving 26 statutory child protection practitioners and 17 specialist non-government practitioners. We describe the ways in which self-placing was perceived to shape young people's access to, and practitioners' ability to provide, transition planning and support. We identify ongoing gaps and examples of good practice to inform more robust transition from care policies that are responsive to the needs of this marginalised cohort.