Executive Summary
Multiple factors such as poverty, violence and neglect continue to push children outside family care around the world. Although different interventions such as family reintegration or foster care aim to return children to safe family environments, they are not always feasible for older children. In such instances independent living may be considered as a form of alternative care which allows children to gradually gain autonomy making reintegration into their communities possible. This literature review explores current international and selected national policy on independent living arrangements and examines the evidence of good practice from existing independent living programmes for care leavers in order to assess how both of the above can be applied to street-connected children. The review adopted a systematic approach in order to explore relevant literature. The approach was subsequently complimented by the snowball sampling approach. Additional sources recommended by other researchers and obtained from relevant websites were also consulted.
The international and national policy on the topic of independent living is not very specific. The UN Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children recognise independent living as a formal alternative care option for children separated from family care. However, the Guidelines do not further elaborate on what independent living consists of and more focus is needed around policy concerning this subject to guide the practitioners involved in independent living initiatives.
The majority of research regarding independent living programmes concerns youth aging out of foster or, to a smaller extent, institutional care. However, many similarities can be found between the needs of care leavers and street children. Both face similar issues, which can detrimentally affect their transition into adulthood, such as behavioural problems, substance abuse and social exclusion. For this reason it is possible to identify elements of independent living programmes which are applicable to both groups.
The literature concerning care leavers emphasizes the role of positive relationships formed with committed and trusted adults who act as mentors and support young people in their transition to independent life. They help young people in establishing their own support network, try to re-connect them with their communities and provide advice on different aspects of young peoples’ lives. Where possible, maintaining contact with young people’s biological families and communities of origin should be encouraged. If such option is not available, an effort should be made in assigning young people with a trained mentor.
Another need indentified in this literature review is assistance around education and employment. Low educational attainment and lack of training is an issue for many care leavers and very often affects their chances of finding employment. The difficulty of establishing themselves in a job market in turn impacts the ability to sustain economic stability and independence. Young people should receive assistance with accessing appropriate education and training, obtaining practical skills and finding employment. All of the above are necessary for the young person to build self-confidence and obtain the necessary skills needed to prevent future economic and social deprivations.
Housing is another issue with which young people leaving care need support with. Without the possibility to return to their families’ they are under risk of becoming homeless if they are not economically stable. Efforts should be made to help young people in establishing themselves in housing by providing them with appropriate accommodation and assisting with rent.
As the literature revealed, communities’ attitudes are not overall positive towards care leavers just as they are not positive towards children connected with the streets. Both groups are very often socially excluded by their communities due to their status or displaying inappropriate behaviour. Social exclusion can result in repercussions from poverty to declining wellbeing. Therefore, this issue needs to be addressed by working closely with community members. Communities need to be mobilised to assume responsibility for young people and to change their attitudes towards them.
The majority of consulted sources explore independent living programmes aimed at care leavers in the context of developed countries. Therefore, there is a need for further research into independent living as an alternative care option for young people living on the streets for an extensive amount of time. This research ought to focus on the needs of young people in such circumstances and how to address them. A dialogue should be established between organisations who offer independent living initiatives in order to share and improve their practice. In addition, the main area which requires attention is longitudinal studies which focus on follow-up of former participants of independent living programmes. Such research would provide an insight into the effectiveness of independent living initiatives and help assess their impact on young peoples’ lives.
