Capstone Care Leavers Trust Champions Higher Education for Young People

Capstone Foster Care are super proud of our charitable arm, Capstone Care Leavers Trust (or CCLT for short). The ongoing care and support for young people is part of what makes us unique.

In case you didn’t already know, CCLT awards grants to care experienced young people aged 17 – 25 in England and Wales and are in need. This can be anything from household items to support them to make their house a home, to driving lessons to enhance their employment opportunities. However, the real passion of the Trust lies with enabling young people to pursue their dreams of higher education.

We wanted to take a moment to break down why its so important to us.

Addressing Unique Challenges.

Care experienced young people often face significant emotional, social and financial challenged that can hinder their educational aspirations. They may not have their families support, and do not have access to resources which would help them to succeed. By removing some of these barriers, such as awarding grants for tuition fees we can help them achieve their goals.

Promotes Advocacy.

More recently, CCLT has obtained fundraising status which gives us a fantastic opportunity to continue the conversation around care experienced young people and raise awareness of the challenges they face. At the same time we’re then also able to advocate for policies which will support them in achieving their higher educational aspirations.

Financial Support.

Without the support of family, many care experienced young people may be discouraged from pursuing further education because of the financial burden. Grants for tuition fees is only one way in which CCLT supports young people on their education journey. We’ve also provided laptops, study materials, and have even awarded a clothes voucher for a work placement for a barrister in training, read Gemma’s story. 

Creating a supportive environment.

We’ve found that support begets support and the more that we do to help care leavers, the more will be done by others. Not only do we invest directly in the young people but also in the institutions which work with then. Did you know that CCLT is a founding member of the Care Leaver Scholarship Program at University of Birmingham? This not only supports with tuition fees but also forms a wrap around service for the young person while they undertake their studies, this includes year-round accommodation, peer support groups, sign posting to useful organisations, as well as access to the Guild of students. Learn more about the Care Leaver Scholarship Program.

You can find out more about the Capstone Care Leavers Trust on their website, or to learn more about fostering with Capstone and supporting a young person to their full potential, give the team a call on 0800 012 4004.