A multinational comparison of care-leaving policy and legislation

Abstract

Care-leavers – those transitioning from alternative care towards young adulthood – are widely recognized as a vulnerable population, yet child protection legislation seldom applies to them because they have reached adulthood. Despite this, little internationally comparative research on care-leaving policy and legislation has been conducted. This paper maps multinational policy and legislation and its impact on the services to care-leavers and the challenges they experience. An online survey was conducted with key informants in 36 countries and analysed by a multinational team of care-leaving scholars. Findings reveal that few countries have well-developed care-leaving legislation. Most countries provide little aftercare beyond the age of 18, even when legislation provides for it. Within the context of suboptimal social policy and limited aftercare services, findings also reveal high vulnerability among care-leavers. Recommendations for policy development, global dialogue, further research and advocacy are proposed.

Internal conversations, self-reliance and social support in emerging adults transitioning from out-of-home care: An interpretative phenomenological study

“…Transition services (including ‘extended care’) for care-leavers have gradually emerged in some jurisdictions, but there is a need for more interdisciplinary and international research into psychosocial need in order to generate evidence-based practice ( van Breda et al, 2020 ). A recent international review of transition services policy notes: ‘The overwhelming majority of youth in the transition from care to adulthood in the countries in our sample are left to survive on their own at age 18 or younger, even when legislation makes provisions for them to stay in care longer’ ( Strahl et al, 2021 ). It is perhaps not surprising that a policy of ‘self-reliance’ has been found to be important for young people themselves in these circumstances.…”

Protocol for a systematic review of policies, programs or interventions designed to improve health and wellbeing of young people leaving the out-of-home care system

“…However, it will be important to interpret findings from this review with great caution. Previous international studies of out-of-home care systems and policies have emphasised that studies conducted in different welfare state regimes may represent different ways of defining and conceptualising out-of-home care, its key target population and key aspects of the care experience [ 4 , 16 , 46 ]. In synthesising these as part of this review, detailed information on the context dependence of findings may therefore get lost, highlighting the need for a locally driven translation process of results and their potential implications for policy and practice in specific locations.…”

“…OOHC is a policy area of considerable contemporary cross-national interest [ 4 ]. The latest available figures for England show that there were 75,420 children in care in 2018.…”

“…Young people transitioning from care are often ill-equipped for independent living, and the type and amount of support they receive is insufficient to prevent adverse outcomes [ 21 , 22 ]. Considering this, in some jurisdictions, one policy response has been to raise the age at which young people can transition, thereby extending the support available [ 4 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Protocol for a Systematic Review of Policies, Programs or Interventions Designed to Improve Health and Psychosocial Outcomes for Young People Leaving the Out of Home Care System

“…OOHC is a policy area of considerable contemporary cross-national interest (4). The latest available gures for England show that there were 75,420 children in care in 2018.…”