International research consistently depicts young people leaving out-of-home care (care leavers) as being particularly disadvantaged and as having significantly reduced life chances (Munro et al., 2005; Stein, 2008). This is not to suggest a simplistic causal relationship between any experiences of state care and poor later outcomes—care leavers are a heterogeneous group, and have varied backgrounds and experiences. But pre-care experiences of abuse and neglect, combined with poor incare experiences, accelerated transitions to adulthood, and a lack of ongoing support after leaving care, make many of them vulnerable to a number of poor outcomes. It is generally accepted that three key reforms are required to improve outcomes for care leavers: improving the quality of care, providing a more gradual and flexible transition from care, and having more specialised after-care supports (Stein, 2004, 2008). This paper examines findings from three recent Australian-based studies that focus on young people’s transition from care, and particularly their preparation for moving out from the placement into transitional or half-way supportive arrangements. These studies suggest an association between good preparation for leaving care and positive postcare experiences.