Background: Young people who experience out-of-home care due to maltreatment are much more likely to experience adverse outcomes. However, studies are often not able to follow-up young people after they leave care when they turn 18.
Methods: This study utilises linked government data to investigate the outcomes of young people (born 1990-1995) who have experienced out-of-home care and followed-up until 2013 (aged 18-23 years). Outcomes of this care group are compared to: a maltreatment group who experienced maltreatment but did not enter out-of-home care; and a control group matched on age, gender, Aboriginality and socioeconomic status who had no child protection contact.
Results: Overall the care group had poorer outcomes in most areas compared to the maltreatment and control group. They had a greater likelihood of hospitalisations, mental health contact, pregnancies, community-based sentences and imprisonment, and less likely to achieve a high school certificate and be university bound. Aboriginal young people from the care group had an even greater risk of adverse outcomes.
Conclusions: Young people who experience maltreatment and been in care are an at-risk group who are more likely to have adverse outcomes in physical health, mental health, education and justice. This was true when compared to a matched group with no child protection contact, and also for most outcomes compared to young people who had experienced maltreatment but not entered care. The challenges faced by these young people are complex and multifactorial, and cannot be solved by one sector alone, nor at a single point of contact.