This paper initiates discussion by calling on Child and Youth Care (CYCCs) to offer transitional support to youth leaving care. It also intends to document and share information on new ways for youth to successfully transition out of care.
This paper discusses how the intention of placement is to be a temporary situation until children are able to reintegrate with their families. Unfortunately, due to the high caseloads placed on designated social workers as well as other factors, children often become long-term residents. If the children cannot return to their families, they end up in care until they are forced to leave at adulthood. This sort of exit causes them to face significant challenges in becoming successful adults.
In order to gather information on support structures, obstacles, and factors of risk and resilience, the researcher conducted quantitative and qualitative studies. This included surveys and focus groups. This research found a shortage of resources, wherein several CYCCs in the focus groups reported a lack of funding. The research also found challenges in attempts to engage families in the lives of their children during the period of care. This was mostly due to lack of family involvement and social worker’s high case load. The paper noted a third problem, which was that the children lived in inappropriate facilities for fostering independence. It states that the day-to-day life of children in residential facilities undermines the goal of gaining independence.
The study found that young people living in care found it difficult to imagine a life out of care. The paper recommends that CYCCs need to be supported “to ensure that management and culture of facilities provide the youth with ‘real time’ learning opportunities.” It also notes that Independent Living Programs are essential to successful transition out of care.
