The law sets out four categories of care leaver. Your rights and entitlements will depend on your legal status. Your social worker or personal advisor can explain all this to you and will help you to understand what help and support you can get.
Eligible Care Leaver
Aged 16 or 17:
- Currently a young person in care
- Cared for a period of 13 weeks which began after reaching 14 and includes at least 1 day after turning 16 or 17.
Relevant Care Leaver
- No longer being cared for by the Local Authority but was previously eligible.
- Currently aged 16 or 17.
Former Relevant Care Leaver
- Aged between 18 and 25 and have left care.
- Spent more than 13 weeks in Care since the age of 14 and includes at least 1 day after turning 16 or 17. (Eligible)
- Or you were a Relevant child immediately before your 18th birthday.
Qualifying Care Leaver
- Subject to a Special Guardianship Order,
- or if age 18 was subject to an SGO (and was looked after immediately prior to the making of the Order)
- Was looked after at any point after the age of 16 and is no longer looked after (minimum of 24 hours)
- Was looked after at any point after the age of 16 but has not completed 13 weeks of being looked after and is therefore not an ‘Eligible Care Leaver’
- Has ceased to be looked after and has returned to, or remained living with a parent or person with parental responsibility and after completing 6 months at home becomes a ‘Qualifying Care Leaver’
- Note if this arrangement breaks down prior to the young person’s 18th birthday, they automatically revert to being a ‘Relevant Care Leaver’