Transition Support Service
About
All young people need a community that supports them to develop life skills and transition to adulthood. For rangatahi leaving the care of Oranga Tamariki - Ministry for Children, that support makes a big difference to plan for the future and help navigate challenges.
The Transition Support Service has been designed with rangatahi and the community to ensure that support is there when it is needed. The focus of the service is to help rangatahi to maintain and build relationships, networks and knowledge to support their decision making, plan for their future and achieve their goals.
Rangatahi being supported in this service can choose to:
Have a transition worker to walk alongside them up to the age of 21
- stay living with, or return to live with a caregiver, if that's what they both want, between 18 to 21 years of age
- get support, advice and assistance from the Transition Support Helpline up to the age of 25
Rangatahi can talk to their social worker, transition worker, or call the Transition Support Helpline and receive support, advice and assistance based on their needs.
The Transition Support Service can help with things like:
- connecting to support networks in the community and with their culture
- finding a place to live
- enrolling in a training course or study
- finding a job
- getting legal advice
- getting counselling, going to the Doctor and paying for medication
- additional financial assistance to help cover costs when things get tough and no other support is available at the time it is needed.
What if rangatahi are not ready to live somewhere new?
The Transition Support Service knows that not all rangatahi are ready to live somewhere new or different when they turn 18. The Transition Support Service give rangatahi who have been in care the option to keep living with a caregiver or to return to live with a caregiver after the age of 18, if both the caregiver and rangatahi agree to this.
This support helps rangatahi step more gradually into independence while in a safe and stable environment.
The Transition Support Service will continue to support caregivers both financially (board) and through caregiver social work support.
What is a transition worker?
A transition worker supports rangatahi with their transition from care to help them get a good start to their adult lives.
They do this through helping rangatahi to maintain and build relationships and networks, to support their decision making, plan for their future and achieve their goals.
Staying in touch
The Transition Support Helpline team maintain contact with rangatahi who are eligible for the service to inform them of their entitlements and provide opportunities to learn about and access the service if they choose to.
Contact
If you’d like support, or if you want to know if you, or somebody you are supporting, is eligible for this service, you can call the Transition Support Helpline on 0800 55 89 89.
