Call to raise the age of care
Entering state care was traumatic enough, but being forced to leave it and fend for himself at 17 was a ‘‘horrible and heartbreaking’’ experience for Tupua Urlich.
The 19-year-old Aucklander is calling for the statutory age of care to be lifted from 17 to 21.
‘‘You have so much expectation that grows throughout your childhood of returning to a loving environment with all your family. Sadly that was not the case for me.’’
Urlich ran away from multiple foster homes, and spent time living on the street.
He realised he was alone after waking up in hospital following a suicide attempt, and there was noone in the room with him.
‘‘At one place you might be with a nice family and then you’re picked up and taken to somewhere with bars on the windows. You go from being a member of the family to a 10-year-old prisoner.’’
He wanted the age of care to be lifted because, ‘‘like every other young person in state care, I want to be a productive member of society and to live a happy life. We don’t want to just be survivors of our own childhood and upbringing.’’
Urlich joins a number of agencies also calling for the age to be hiked to 21.
‘‘In New Zealand, young people leave state care on their 17th birthday – an age when they can’t even sign a tenancy agreement,’’ said Lifewise General Manager Moira Lawler. ‘‘We see the impact of that every day – young people who end up homeless, living on the streets because they have nowhere to go.’’
Social Development Minister Anne Tolley has already indicated that she expected the age to increase.
Lifewise, Youthline, Child Poverty Action Group, Action Station and other agencies have teamed up for a campaign named ‘‘We Don’t Stop Caring’’.
The campaign is asking for public support and at least 10,000 signatures on a petition to present to Parliament’s Social Services Select Committee.
‘‘Somehow we have got to a point where people are quick to judge young people in foster care, but they are the innocent victims of sometimes horrific abuse and neglect,’’ said Lawler.
Labour’s spokeswoman for children Jacinda Ardern said Labour welcomed any increase to the age of care.
‘‘For us us anything above 17 would be better than what we’ve got now . . .