National Care Leavers Week becomes National Care Leavers Month

Posted 26th May 2025

It’s official – National Care Leavers’ Week is becoming National Care Leavers’ Month.

Starting this year, the month of November will be dedicated to recognising care-experienced young people, celebrating their achievements, and raising awareness of the challenges they still face. Because let’s be honest – one week was never really enough.

This change has been a long time in the making. Over the past year, a group of care-experienced people and organisations have come together to rethink what this annual moment could and should be. That group includes the National Care Leavers Benchmarking Forum (NCLBF), CLNM, the National House Project (NHP), Rees Foundation, Care Leaver Covenant, Become, Drive Forward Foundation, and Coram Voice. It’s been a genuinely collaborative effort – one grounded in lived experience, shared ambition, and a drive to do things better.

From the start, care-experienced voices were central, helping to shape both the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of the change.

Turning a week into a month isn’t just about stretching the calendar. It’s about making space. Space for more voices to be heard, for deeper conversations, and for more people to take part in ways that feel meaningful to them. It’s also about showing that care leavers deserve more than a moment – they deserve real recognition and real change.

What happens next?

CLNM and NHP will continue to feed into the planning group and share updates in the lead-up to November, so keep an eye out. Whether you’re a care-experienced young person, an ally, or part of the wider system, there’ll be opportunities to get involved and make your voice heard.

This is more than a rebrand – it’s a step in the right direction. A chance to build momentum, to connect across the country, and to centre lived experience in everything we do.

November’s going to be big.