Leaving care

Home stretch

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Home Stretch provides young people leaving care with support to transition to independence and a place to call home until 21 years of age.

Home Stretch – Alkira’s story video transcript

Home Stretch is part of the Better Futures program. It provides you with a more gradual and supported transition to adulthood. This means you can get the support you need up to the age of 21 with assistance from a Better Futures worker.

With Home Stretch you can stay with your kinship, foster or permanent carer until you turn 21 years of age if your carer agrees. Your carer can get an allowance to help support you.

If you are moving from care to independent living, you can get an allowance to help you with your transition goals. This payment will be brokered by your Better Futures provider.

With Home Stretch you will be eligible for:

  • Better Futures case work support 
  • information and advice
  • flexible funding
  • an allowance.

These supports will help you achieve your goals in relation to: 

  • housing 
  • health and wellbeing 
  • education (including TAFE and university)
  • employment
  • community and cultural connections. 

Eligibility

As of 1 July 2021, all eligible young people can access Home Stretch support until 21 years of age. 

With Home Stretch you can stay with your kinship, foster or permanent carer until you turn 21, if your carer agrees. Your carer can get an allowance to help support you.

If you are moving from care to independent living, you can get an allowance to help you achieve your transition goals.

Home Stretch is available to young people who were on a Children’s Court: 

  • family reunification order 
  • care by Secretary order 
  • long-term care order
  • permanent care order. 

The young person must have been on one of these orders on or after their 16th birthday.

Support via Home Stretch is available up to 21 years of age.

Applications and referrals

Kinship, foster or residential care

Applications for Home Stretch are lodged with the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing by your case manager and a Better Futures worker. 

Home Stretch applications are made when you are approximately 6 months away from leaving care. A Home Stretch application should be part of care team planning from 15 years of age with you and your carer. 

Permanent care orders

If you are on a permanent care order, Permanent Care and Adoptive Families or the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency are responsible for referring you to your local Better Futures provider. Your provider will support you to access Home Stretch.

For more information:

Permanent Care and Adoptive Families

Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency

Better Futures resources

Better Futures fact sheets and videos are available for young people transitioning from care.

They help explain the support available to you from Better Futures. They were made by the CREATE Foundation and the Transitions from Care Youth Expert Advisory Group (YEAG).

Visit the CREATE Better Futures web page for more details.

Better Futures fact sheets and videos for Aboriginal young people

Fact sheets and videos help explain support available to Aboriginal young people. They were made by the Victorian Aboriginal Children & Young People’s Alliance and the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency (VACCA). 

Visit the VACYP Alliance web page for more details.

Service providers

Home Stretch is delivered by Better Futures.

For more information, visit Better Futures.

More information