Resources for children and young people in care
Introduction
There is no easily identifiable set of personal finance education resources suitable for children in care generally.
The pfeg website has many Quality Marked resources from which schools can draw. Some may be suitable for use by young people working independently or with other adults in out of school settings. It is important that whoever is selecting materials considers the needs and aptitudes of the specific young people.
To find out more about their financial education needs and how best to meet them, pfeg is working with some local authorities and other organisations to consult with young people in the care system.
Informal consultation
Staff at an Adolescent Service in West Yorkshire spoke to some young people about personal finance before looking at a small selection of resources. General views were similar to those expressed on previous pages.
‘The young people trying out these resources were generally quite ‘street wise’.
It was really interesting to realise that they don’t think they need to learn about any of this other than when they are older and need to be able to do it for themselves, for example, a 14 year old thought that bank accounts and budgeting were a waste of time. Surprisingly they don’t think that they are going to have problems with money, this could be due to the large amount of pocket money/clothing money most get on a regular basis. It seems that - like most young people - the reality of a situation does not hit home until it is too late. ‘
Using resources with young people
Fortunity
‘I think that the mini games would be really useful after a topic had been taught, as a consolidation activity.’
Some found the main game difficult to understand – they showed a lack of patience in trying to work it out. Although the mini games were seen more favourably, some young people (those who had problems with reading and comprehension) didn’t always understand the language used, so an adult needed to explain.
The adults in the unit reviewed some of the other resources:
- Adding up to a lifetime - ‘some really useful content on the CD and it would be useful for lifeskills/leaving care work.’
- Spending Sense – ‘I really like this programme. The ability to differentiate the resources means that you can make it applicable to all young people. The resources are colourful and the range of topics can be broadened if necessary to give more practical experiences.’
- Money Skills – ‘Again, this is useful because you can differentiate the resources and pull out the activities that are relevant.'
