How to help children coming out of foster care?

[LadyGillingham]

Im assuming children in foster care are on their own after 18? Or does someone look after them?

What kind of help/support will they need?

I must confess that I find it strange when some foster carers don't continue relations with the kids. The only 2 people I know personally who were in care both have ongoing family relationships with their last placement. A friend of ours works with a supported housing scheme locally for care leavers, so I'm well aware that a lot don't. I'm not sure how someone could be a fit parent to a 15yo, yet not want to keep in touch, invite for Christmas dinner etc.

@GRex

At the end of the day being a foster carer is a job. Many of the FCs I know do maintain contact with adult care leavers. But there could be many reasons why not.
I'm a FC, I've just been asked to take a 16 year old. All the young person wants really is taxi driver, someone to cook and do their laundry, be able to vape and come and go as they please.
I could be a more than OK foster carer for them, but they are clearly not interested in a family life, they are in a holding pattern until they get their own accommodation.
Once they are 18 and an adult, any authority you have as an FC is gone, you aren't much more than a landlady, to some potentially very difficult young people, who may have no real interest in remaining part of your family.
There are some wonderful young people in foster care, doing well and with a good future ahead of them. I'd suggest these are the ones who will maintain a relationship with their FC family.
Sadly there are many young people in FC who are very very challenging.
I've just had to say goodbye to a young person after they trashed my house and garden for the second time. I'm looking at 100s of pounds for repairs and replacements. I'm devastated for them, they aren't getting the help they need for their mental health. And I can't do anything about it. Yes I could battle on, keep getting my home trashed, keep picking up the bills but I have my own mental health and my son to consider.
This young person is 12, imagine an 18 year old behaving like that.
As much as I feel sympathy for that young person, sometimes there is only so much an FC can do, and it's nothing to do with whether they are a 'fit parent'

This organisation is mainly in Scotland and provides mentoring support for care experienced young people.
https://mcrpathways.org/where-we-are/

Hi Op i worked with a company who provide housing specifically for care leavers, they have a tenancy (rent paid by benefits usually) until they’re in their early 20s, so it helps them learn independence in terms of balancing bills, they get support to find a job and care leavers also have lots of support Available should they want to go to university,
from specific university schemes.

they’ve had very hard lives and are almost without exception traumatised. The properties we rented to them had frequent police visits and needed 24/7 security and support.

Rooms and doors were very frequently kicked down by gang members or drug dealers looking for residents. The residents were generally a lot of trouble and got into a lot of trouble and a good outcome is as basic as establishing a family relationship or staying in employment for a year.

and that is in the wealthiest home county in the uk

care leavers do need a lot of support and their outcomes ARE poor and even with excellent support their outcomes are far poorer than an average 18 year old. What they don’t need are unqualified people who don’t fully understand childhood trauma randomly trying to help them with coding, tbh.

Thank you for your clear explanation.

Something like this! Geez. Google is free.