Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration

It is important to support children who are preparing to leave care. This includes helping young people as they ‘age out’ of the care system and transition to independent living, as well as children planning to return home and reintegrate with their families. In either case, leaving care should be a gradual and supervised process that involves careful preparation and follow-up support to children and families.

The transition from alternative care to independent living can be challenging for young people. While some departures from care may be well planned, others may be sudden or unexpected, leaving young people emotionally and financially ill-equipped to cope with change. Without adequate preparation for leaving care and support during the aftercare phase, young people may face risks such as long-term unemployment, substance abuse, involvement in criminal activities and homelessness. Studies indicate that the biggest barriers to transitioning children out of care includes the absence of supportive relationships, educational challenges, housing instability and economic challenges (unemployment).

Reducing these risks involves working with children to plan for life after care and adulthood– including helping them to determine the most appropriate living environment, develop necessary life, financial management and job skills, and ensure that they have a reliable support system in place. Once children leave care, they should be encouraged to maintain contact with their previous care givers and friends, have access to basic services and quality housing with financial assistance, and be supported to follow educational, vocational and employment opportunities. Above all, evidence indicates that young people who benefit from gradual, extended and supported transitions from care have better outcomes than those who leave early and abruptly.

Girls and boys who leave care to return home can also benefit from a gradual process of reintegration with their families – both before and after the event. Initially this should involve a comprehensive assessment of whether the problems that led to family separation (such as poverty or social problems) have been adequately resolved, and whether a return home is in a child’s best interests. If so, the child, family and alternative caregivers should be supported to prepare and plan for reintegration – which may involve increasing the frequency and duration of children’s family visits before the final return, helping to build parenting skills, assessing families’ financial, practical and emotional support needs and developing a care plan to address them.

Once children are reunited with their families, ongoing support and supervision can play a critical role in ensuring that reintegration is lasting. For example social or community workers can provide counselling support, facilitate families’ access to social protection benefits and make sure that children have the academic support required to catch up at a new school. In some cases, children’s extended family and the broader community can also be encouraged to provide emotional or practical support.

This section contains literature on children leaving alternative care in non-emergency settings. This includes lessons learned and best practices regarding family reintegration, as well as guidance for supporting young people as they leave the care system and transition to independent living.

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The DataCare Project

Eurochild and UNICEF, 22 Dec 2021

The DataCare Project was launched by Eurochild with support from UNICEF in March 2020. The project aims to carry out a comprehensive mapping of child protection data systems across the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) and the UK. In addition to providing an overview of the situation of children in alternative care in Europe, this project aims to inform EU efforts to agree to comparable benchmarks and indicators to monitor progress in child protection reforms across Europe.

DataCare Project Technical Report: Better data for better child protection systems in Europe - Mapping how data on children in alternative care are collected, analysed and published across 28 European countries

Eurochild and UNICEF, 22 Dec 2021

This report was conceptualised jointly by Eurochild and the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) and builds on the Eurochild report on alternative care in Europe published in 2009. It also includes a full set of country profiles.

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DataCare Project Policy Brief: Children in alternative care - Comparable statistics to monitor progress on deinstitutionalisation across the European Union

Eurochild and UNICEF, 22 Dec 2021

This policy brief summarises the policy context, as well as the key findings and recommendations from the analysis of the national responses to the DataCare survey across Europe. More detailed information can be found in the full research report: Better Data for Better Child Protection Systems in Europe: Mapping how data on children in alternative care are collected, analysed, and published across 28 European countries, which includes a full set of country profiles.

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Making the Case for Transition - Kinnected Partner, India/Australia

Better Care Network in partnership with Kinnected, 14 Dec 2021

This video case study was developed as a part of the Transitioning Models of Care Assessment Tool training package. It is 1 of 8 video case studies exploring different aspects of learning on transitioning residential care services. To access the full set of case studies or the training package, visit the BCN Transition Hub.

Transitioning Residential Care Services Video Case Studies

Better Care Network in partnership with Kinnected, 14 Dec 2021

These video case studies were developed as a part of the Transitioning Models of Care Assessment Tool training pa

Caring for our Children and Young People: An update on Scotland’s Corporate Parenting 2018 - 2021

The Scottish Government, 09 Dec 2021

Putting this second national report on corporate parenting before the Scottish Parliament in line with their duties under Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, the Scottish Government provides an overview of corporate parents’ activities over the last three years. The report aims to become a useful learning resource for corporate parents.

Herramienta de Evaluación de Modelos de Atención en Transición

Rebecca Nhep and Hannah Won - Better Care Network & Kinnected, an intitiative of ACC International Relief, with support from Changing the Way We Care, 01 Dec 2021

Esta herramienta tiene como objetivo ayudar a los profesionales a lograr los siguientes objetivos al brindar apoyo técnico a las instituciones en transición:

Versión inglesa

Estudio de caso de las condiciones que conllevan a una transició n segura: Bridges Safehouse

Better Care Network and Kinnected, 01 Dec 2021

Este estudio de caso destaca algunos de los requisitos previos para el punto de partida de una transición exitosa de la atención residencial a un modelo no residencial, muchos de los cuales a menudo se pasan por alto o se subestiman. El estudio de caso se organiza en torno a las distintas etapas de la transición y explora algunos de los temas clave descritos en la Herramienta de evaluación de modelos de atención en transición.

Versión inglesa

Case Study: Malaika Babies Home Uganda

Better Care Network, Child's i Foundation, USAID, 01 Dec 2021

Overtime, and after realising the full cost of running even a small residential program, and witnessing first-hand the developmental gains made by children once placed in foster care, Child’s i Foundation made a decision to fully transition and phase out their residential care program entirely.

Situational Analysis of Care Reform in the Republic of Moldova

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Dec 2021

This comprehensive situational analysis was comprised of seven unique pieces of research, conducted by individual researchers, research firms and CTWWC, and in close coordination the Government of Moldova. The research findings were presented to and validated during a process in which more than 140 participants representing 96 government bodies and NGOs participated in July 2021. All research is available in Romanian and English.