Leaving care is often described as a transition into independence. For many young people, however, the reality can be much more abrupt.

In August 2026, the Department for Education published an independent review into the early deaths of young people who had previously been in care. The review, led by Ashley John-Baptiste and Clare Chamberlain, examined the circumstances surrounding the deaths of care-experienced young adults aged between 18 and 24 and identified recurring themes around isolation, reduced support and the transition into adulthood.

Official figures published earlier this year recorded 106 notifications of care-leaver deaths in England in the year to March 2026, compared with 91 the previous year. These notifications are voluntary, meaning they should be treated with caution, but the figures nevertheless underline the seriousness of the issue.

What is perhaps most striking about the review is not simply the number of deaths. It is what the stories tell us about what can happen when support falls away.

Young people leaving care are often expected to manage responsibilities that many other young adults still navigate with substantial support from parents and family networks: housing, money, education, employment, health appointments, relationships, emotional distress and the everyday challenges of adulthood.

For a young person who has experienced trauma, disrupted attachments, exploitation, placement instability or repeated loss, turning 18 does not remove those experiences.

Independence therefore cannot simply mean doing more things alone.

At Acacia Therapy Homes, we believe preparation for adulthood has to include both practical and emotional readiness. A young person may be able to cook, budget, travel independently or manage their own phone while still needing significant support with emotional regulation, relationships, risk recognition, decision-making and asking for help.

These areas are not separate. They influence one another.

A young person who feels rejected or overwhelmed may make a very different decision from the same young person when they feel connected, regulated and supported. Likewise, a young person who has experienced repeated losses may find it difficult to trust that support will remain available when they need it.

This is why transition planning needs to begin well before a young person leaves a children’s home.

Preparation should include opportunities to develop independence gradually, practise managing responsibility safely and understand the risks that come with greater freedom. Just as importantly, young people need to know who will remain in their corner when things become difficult.

The recent review identifies the drop in support following care as a central concern. It also calls for stronger supported accommodation, greater awareness within health and custodial services, and a workforce better equipped to support young people through the transition to adulthood.

The Government has subsequently announced £25 million to expand housing models intended to provide care leavers with greater support and connection as they move into adulthood.

That investment is welcome, but this issue is bigger than accommodation alone.

Young people need relationships.

They need adults who know them, recognise changes in their presentation, understand their history and remain available when independence becomes difficult. They need professionals who can distinguish between a young person making their own choices and a young person becoming increasingly isolated or unsafe.

Above all, they need transition plans that recognise that becoming an adult is a process rather than an event.

For residential providers, local authorities and the wider professional network, the challenge is therefore not simply to prepare young people to leave care.

It is to prepare them to live well beyond it.

At Acacia Therapy Homes, our approach to independence focuses on building competency alongside attachment and emotional regulation. Through our ARC-PACE framework, therapeutic input and everyday residential practice, we aim to help young people develop not only the practical skills they need for adulthood, but the confidence, relationships and emotional resources they will need when support begins to change.

Because successful independence should never mean being left alone.