There is a lack of research on the mental health and wellbeing of care-experienced young people, which has an impact on the support young people receive. Our paper highlights common mental health symptoms (e.g. anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress) among care-experienced young people over two key ages: early and late adolescence. We show that mental health and wellbeing are distinct but overlapping constructs, and that this overlap is particularly strong by late adolescence. Our findings highlight the urgent need for early intervention and preventative support for care-experienced young people, to reduce the likelihood of mental health difficulties and poor wellbeing as they approach adulthood.