By LILLY WALSH

Victorian youths leaving the state care system at 18 risk becoming homeless "at an incredibly high rate", says Victoria’s peak homelessness organisation.

Council to Homeless Persons consumer programs manager Ian Gough said the community needed to "work better with leaving care" to assist the integration of these young people into society.

"If you're in care of the government, that shuts at 18," he said.

"You get no further assistance."

The organisation Youthlaw provides free legal advice for Melbourne’s homeless and disadvantaged youths, and currently supports the Home Stretch, a national campaign that  is pushing for an extension of state care from 18 to 21.

An Anglicare Victoria report commissioned for the Home Stretch campaign reveals that 50 per cent of those leaving the state care system at 18 become homeless, imprisoned, or unemployed within one year.

Youthlaw policy, advocacy and human rights officer Tiffany Overall said the Home Stretch campaign sought to give better options to young people in state care.

"The idea [is] that if you extend the age from 18 to 21, for that period it's optional for the young person to stay in the state care system," she said.

"It just means that they've got those extra three years to try and progress wherever they're at in their life journey."

According to the Anglicare report, 50 per cent of all young people aged 18 to 24 are living with one or both parents.

Ms Overall said Homestretch sought to provide this same option to youths unable to live with their own parents.

"These young people are being badgered from 16 or 17 that they're going to get cut out of the state care system," she said.

"It's quite harrowing."

Melbourne mother Nicole Lord said this age was "such a critical time" in a child's development. 

Ms Lord and her partner, Bethia, have four children, and have looked after a child from the state care system.

"If you don't have the support to finish year 12 and enter further education or the workforce, that can be really dangerous," Ms Lord said.

"It's about permanency and stability."