It follows a successful pilot in Greater Manchester to avoid young
care leavers "being abandoned" by local authorities.
"However, despite their vulnerabilities, it's important to stress that
care leavers can and do achieve as well as their peers.
What Beth Murray, director of Catch22 - a national charity that works with
care leavers and young offenders - said: "Children in care in Greater Manchester are not twice as likely to commit a crime, but they may well be twice as likely to be reported for one.
This is a national week of events organised by councils and
care leavers' groups aimed at highlighting the needs of
care leavers and the challenges they face as they enter adult life.
The Grandmentors scheme has been introduced in other parts of the country, and has seen 82 per cent of
care leavers going into further education, employment or training within six months of the programme ending, compared to 51 per cent nationally not involved in the scheme.
"We tend to find that
care leavers are more comfortable asking for help and guidance from people who are familiar with the care system, but, once they are in full-time work or education, it's harder to find this kind of help.
Emma Taylor, director of children's services at Cheshire West and Chester Council, said: "Our
care leavers' stories show what a difference our foster carers have made to their lives.
Our research found that where qualifications have been gained by Afghan UASC
care leavers, the majority remain at the basic level, with entry-level (pre-GCSE) qualifications only, and very few have progressed beyond Level 1-2 (equivalent to GCSE).
"Even in cases where a
care leaver has had some preparation for the real world, problems with mental health and a lack of ability to deal with these issues stops them being able to use these skills."
The Belfast woman said: "At the start of second year I was living in a homeless shelter and Deirdre Lynskey was installed as the
care leaver contact in Queen's Widening Participation Unit.
Mr Burnham said: "We know life as a
care leaver can be hard.
"One local authority gave a
care leaver a tent because they couldn't find placement for them anywhere else.
