Care Leavers Month
Celebrating National Care Leavers Month for brighter futures!
The Future's Bright!
This November, we’re celebrating care leavers everywhere as part of National Care Leavers Month 2025, recognising their strength, resilience, and the journeys that shape who they are.
The theme for 2025 is “Rising as Me: Overcoming challenges, transforming, and finding your identity.” At YLF, we’re proud to stand beside care-experienced young people as they rise, grow, and discover their paths forward. YLF’s Futures Team have been working hard to develop opportunities and support for care leavers.
As we move through the month, we look forward to meeting with care leavers at events across Kent and Medway. This is just the beginning, and we are excited to see how our Futures Programmes develop as we move into the new year!
Futures Programme
In October a group of care leavers from Kent and Medway met at YLF HQ to describe the challenges and issues they faced as they reached the ‘care cliff’ at 18. They spoke about their shared experiences, the stigma of having been in care and the struggle of finding the right support. Thinking about how they would design the YLF Futures Care Leavers Programmes, they suggested more practical support, creative workshops, social connection and opportunities to work on improving their wellbeing.
The Futures Team pledge to regularly engage with care leavers and continue listening to their thoughts and ideas to ensure the YLF Futures Programme is shaped by lived experience and offers effective, worthwhile support.
November Events!
Kent and Medway care leavers have supported the Futures Team to develop a rich programme of events across the month from parent and baby groups to career building workshops…
>> To find out more about the full schedule of events and to sign up, email futures@ylf.org.uk
Featured Event - Futures Fest!
On the 17th November, Futures’ Fest will take over the Gallagher Stadium in Maidstone! Care leavers and professionals are invited to an action-packed event with opportunities for all attendees to try 6-aside football, boxing/martial arts, Dungeons and Dragons and a variety of crafts.
There will also be activities for those with preschool children and a range of corporate partners and agencies there to find out more about their offers of work placements and apprenticeships – thanks to our partners, Stones in the Community. We will be rounding the afternoon off with pizza that has been kindly provided by Dominos, DS Group.
> BOOK YOUR SPACE BY CONTACTING – FUTURES@YLF.ORG.UK
Be a Volunteer!
Our Futures Programme relies on committed volunteers to help support our care leavers. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in finding out more about volunteering at YLF, please visit our volunteer pages and help give a care leaver a brighter future!