In this speech given at the launch of a "landmark package of support for young people leaving care," Nadhim Zahawi, the UK's Minister for Children and Families, spoke about a new initiative to increase support for care leavers in the UK. "The kind of things that may seem inconsequential to us can be very challenging when you don’t have the normal family networks to call on for advice," said Zahawi, "learning to manage the household bills, remembering to put a wash on so that there’s always something clean to wear for work or an interview, and managing to keep the fridge stocked. Which is why we have strengthened the support that local authorities have to give care leavers, in particular we have asked them to consult on and publish their local offer for care leavers, and we have extended support from a personal adviser to all care leavers up to age 25."
The program also includes tax exemptions for care leavers and a "care leaver internship scheme, which provides 12-month paid internships in the Civil Service," as well as partnerships with the private sector and other organizations to support care leavers through financial literacy programs, workshops on tenancy and avoiding debt, crisis support for care leavers facing homelessness, and more.
In his speech, Zahawi also lays out areas in which he would like to see the covenant develop further in future and "how the covenant fits within a broader spectrum of work."