“We can no longer ignore the reality of thousands of young people leaving care without support,” declared young people in a Declaration on Leaving Care, created by youth and validated by 200 care leavers from 15 Ibero-American countries. “We demand that our voice be heard and that our proposals be transformed into concrete and sustainable public policies.” 

The Declaration was presented at a side event to the United Nations ECOSOC Youth Forum 2025, the UN's largest gathering of young people. The side event brought together care-experienced youth, civil society, academia, and governments to discuss how society can better support young people leaving alternative care and share good practices from the Ibero-America region to inspire other countries to replicate action.  

Vitória Vicente, 19, a youth activist for care leavers from Brazil and a member of Movimento Além do Acolhimento, spoke in person at the event about the isolation and hardship faced by young people aging out of alternative care. 

Having spent more than a decade in the child protection system, she described the abrupt transition of leaving care with no work experience, financial support, or family network to rely on. 

“One of the biggest challenges is we feel alone,” said Vitória. “When I left what was my house - after more than 10 years in protection - I didn’t have work, I didn’t have experience. I thought, how am I going to support myself?” 

Vitória qualifed to live in a youth home provided by SOS Children’s Villages Brazil and the local government where she does get support. However, she noted that not all care leavers are eligible - including her pregnant sister, who was left without essential help. 

“We need options for young people who have nowhere else to go,” she said. “Every country should have a (program) to receive care leavers - and we also need financial and psychological support to be ready for adult life.” 

Tally Arriagada Ávila, 26, a care leaver activitist from Chile, emphasized that laws and policies must be developed with the meaningful participation of care experienced youth. Tally, coordinator of the Youth Committee of the Latin American Network of Care Leavers, highlighted the growing network of care leavers across Latin America - from Argentina to Guatemala - and he called on decision-makers to make space for young people in shaping the systems that affect them.  

“We hope our voices are heard and our words become sustainable public policies,” he said. “This should not be a jump towards the unknown but a bridge that includes support and resources. With the help of civil society, we can turn vulnerability into opportunities.”

Argentina’s care leaver law as a model 

The event, titled Impact and Collaboration: Ibero-American Policy Making with and for Care Leavers, was organized by SOS Children’s Villages International and co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Chile to the UN, Ministry of Youth and Childhood of the Government of Spain, the Permanent Mission of Uruguay to the UN, Comillas Pontifical University, and Red Latinoamericana de Egresados de Protección.

While care leavers around the world face similar challenges, the event focused on the problems and potential solutions concerning care leavers in Spain and Latin America to create synergies amongst peer governments committed to support care leavers and support other countries to apply them in their contexts. 

A care leaver law in Argentina, passed in 2017, is the only law in Ibero-America that provides structured support for those leaving alternative care - offering mentorship and financial assistance from age 13 up to 25 for those pursuing education.  

Alejandra Perinetti, National Director of SOS Children’s Villages Argentina, celebrated the groundbreaking legislation (Law 27.354) as a civil society-led achievement that recognizes young care leavers as rights-holders.  

But she also highlighted some of the law’s challenges: uneven implementation across provinces, inflation that undermines financial stipends, and widespread mistrust in institutions due to delayed support. For Ms. Perinetti, ensuring dignified transitions into adulthood is not only a matter of policy, but an ethical imperative for society. 

“Building a future that is fairer means that no young person can be left behind. No young person can be left alone. This means that we must take on the responsibility of being a society that cares for, accompanies, and gives opportunities to our young people. This is the moment to take action as a society with responsibility, with commitment.”

‘Support must be continuous’ 

Jon S. Rodríguez Forrest, Chief of Cabinet for the Ministry of Youth and Childhood in Spain, emphasized his government’s commitment to strengthening child protection systems and supporting care leavers. Spain, he said, is currently working on a new decree aimed at improving the care system, with specific measures to support care leavers. 

“We can’t allow children cared for by the state to simply end up on the street when they turn 18. Support must be continuous - and it must guarantee their rights,” Mr. Forrest said. 

Clara Martínez, former director of the Professorship on Child Rights and Youth at Universidad de Comillas, emphasized that young people leaving alternative care remain rights holders under international law - even after age 18.  Highlighting international standards and recommendations rooted in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, she stressed that state responsibility must be continuous. 

“The convention doesn't say that they lose these rights when they turn 18,” Ms. Martinez said. “From 18 on, these young people are still rights holders. The state has to continue to protect them.” 

Paulina Fernández, Director of Advocacy at SOS Children’s Villages Chile, said there is an urgent need for a rights-based legal framework in Chile that ensures all young people leaving care receive continuous support, regardless of their circumstances. 

Turning 18 should not be the sole criterion for ending state protection, she said, especially when it can lead young people to become homeless, return to a difficult family situation, or even fall victim to organized crime. 

“It doesn’t make sense for there to be protection and then for that person to just lose it all,” she said. “We need to modify the law for protection services so that young people continue to receive these resources and support.”  

The event ended with a video of young people reciting the demands of care leavers as outlined in the Declaration. As one of the key points of the Declaration states: “It is time to break the cycle of exclusion and ensure that every young care leaver has access to the same opportunities as their peers who grew up in family environments.” 

More information on the event and related materials can be found on the event website