Knowing your rights and what services are available to you is a good way to support yourself through this transition and to enable you to make the best choices for yourself.
Your basic rights when leaving care
Each state and territory offers different things. But generally, the types of after care assistance you are entitled to include:
1. Family support. Information and advice about other agencies that can help you with family searching and family mediation.
2. Housing. Financial assistance and support to help you find accommodation.
3. Education. Assistance in finding the right education and training for you.
4. Employment. Assistance in finding employment.
5. Counselling. Counselling and other services.
6. Documentation. Help with accessing personal documentation.
Checklist
Before you leave care or as you are making the transition out of care, you can use the following checklist to make sure you have all of the documents you need. If you don’t have any of these documents and don’t know how to get them, ask your support worker to help you.
Medicare card
bank account
birth certificate
student card
school report
references
tax file number
concession card for travel
TAS
If you believe your rights have been ignored you can contact the following services for advice on what to do next:
• Commissioner for Children
www.childcomm.tas.gov.au
• Advocacy Tasmania
www.advocacytasmania.com.au
VIC
Australian Council of Trade Unions
This is the site that the ACTU has designed for young people. It provides information about workplace laws for young people, and other information about employment, including what your rights are at work.
Australian Electoral Commission
Register to vote in federal elections here, and get more information about what your rights are as a voter.
Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry
This is the government department in Victoria where people can access copies of their birth certificates.
Community Legal Centres in Victoria
Find a community legal centre near you!
Keypass
Keypass is a form of recognised ID for young people. Information on how to register for a key pass here.
Legal Aid Victoria
Information on how to access legal help in Victoria
Office of the Child Safety Commission
Find out more about your rights as a young person in care – the charter of rights for children and young people in care can be found here.
Ombudsman of Victoria
The Ombudsman’s office is a place where people can make a complaint about the state government, and in some cases, agencies or organisations. They are able to provide young people with information about the processes involved in making complaints.
Victorian Electoral Commission
Register to vote in Victoria here, and get more information on your rights as a voter in Victoria.
Victorian Human Rights Charter
This is the charter of Rights for all Victorians
Youth Central
Find out more about your rights as a young person in Victoria
http://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=14&languageId=1&contentId=-1&ref=neo
Youth Law
Specialised legal service for young people in Victoria. Youth law have heaps of services for young people that have been designed by young people.
http://www.youthlaw.asn.au/
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