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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Reforma sistemului de îngrijire în Republica Moldova

Changing the Way We Care, 27 Oct 2021

În 2021, Changing the Way We Care a lansat o analiză situațională a sistemului de îngrijire a copilului în Republica Moldova. Rezultatul acestei analize sunt 8 rapoarte bazate pe cercetări ample ale partenerilor CTWWC: Copil, Comunitate, Familie (CCF) Moldova, Keystone Human Services International, Moldova și Parteneriate pentru fiecare copil (P4EC). Aceste rapoarte oferă o imagine de ansamblu a situației copiilor vulnerabili și a familiilor acestora din Moldova, atât în contextul dezinstituționalizării, cât și al prevenirii plasării în instituții rezidențiale.

Case Management Procedures for Reunification and Reintegration of Children and Adolescents into Family and Community-based Care

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Oct 2021

Case Management Procedures for Reunification and Reintegration of Children and Adolescents into Family and Community-based Care was developed together with Secretary of Social Welfare (SBS), the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (PNA), Guatemala’s Attorney General (PGN), the Judicial Branch (OJ), the National Council of Adoptions (CNA), ASOCRIGUA and Hogar Aldeas de Esperanza. It was informed by Changing the Way We Care’s work in Kenya on the Caseworker’s Guidebook: Case Management for Reintegration of Children into Family or Community-Based Care, adapted to the Guatemalan context.

Caseworker's Handbook: Case Management for Reintegration of Children into Family- or Community-Based Care

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Oct 2021

This Handbook is a summarized, simplified version of the Case Worker’s Guidebook for Case Management for Reintegration of Children/Young Adults into Family- or Community-Based Care. It provides an overview of the principles and practices of case management for reunification and placement of children/young adults outside of parental care (e.g., street-connected children/young adults or from Charitable Children’s Institutions and Statutory Children’s Institutions) into family- and community-based care, up until sustainable reintegration is achieved. The Handbook aims to provide an easy and quick reference to critical information and “how to” about case management for reintegration.

Promoting Resilience-Informed Care: A practical guidance resource for frontline workers in family based care

Changing the Way We Care, 24 Sep 2021

This practical guidance is for anyone working with children at risk of entering, already living in, preparing or having already left care. It discusses why and how to support children who are at risk of or who have already experienced adverse experiences that might lead to distress or trauma.

Home Thrive Scale: Case Management Tool Towards Preventing Family Separation and Ensuring Children Thrive in Family-based and Alternative Care Options

Audria Choudhury, 21 Sep 2021

The strengths-based assessment tool serves to both prevent family breakdowns and reintegrate children from institutions back into families (or other family-based or alternative care options). This article provides an overview of the tool, including its purpose, set-up and functionality within a case management system.

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Presentations: Meeting on Translating Research Evidence Into Action

Know-How Center Bulgaria, Children and Family Initiative, and Changing the Way We Care, 20 Sep 2021

These presentations from Know-How Center Bulgaria, Children and Family Initiative, and Changing the Way We Care, were delivered during the September 30, 2021, workshop of the Care Measurement Task Force of the Transforming Children's Care Global Collaborative Platform. The focus of the workshop was translating research evidence into action.

Cierre de casos de niños, niñas y adolescentes reintegrados a un entorno familiar y comunitario en área de demostración

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Sep 2021

El documento “Cierre de casos de niños, niñas y adolescentes reintegrados a un entorno familiar y comunitario en área de demostración” es un documento dirigido a profesionales de trabajo social, psicología y pedagogía que trabajan directamente en la atención a NNA que están en proceso de reintegración a un entorno familiar y comunitario, el documento contempla el proceso realizado para el cierre de casos abordado desde una metodología de gestión de casos, dentro del documento también se narra la experiencia que se tuvo en Zacapa, Guatemala y se reflexiona sobre la importancia de la reintegración a través de un proceso planificado de gestión de casos y de acompañamiento cercano a las familias y cuidadores.

Closing Cases of Children and Adolescents Reintegrated into their Family and Community Environment in the Demonstration Area

Changing the Way We Care, 01 Sep 2021

The report is aimed at professionals in social work, psychology and pedagogy who work directly with children who are in the process of reintegration into a family and community environment. The document contemplates the process carried out for the closure of cases approached from a case management methodology. The report captures the experience that was had in Zacapa, Guatemala, and it reflects on the importance of reintegration through a planned process of case management and close accompaniment to families and caregivers.

Engaging Everyone in the Transformation - Child Rescue Centre and Helping Children Worldwide

Better Care Network and Helping Children WorldWide, 01 Sep 2021

The Child Rescue Centre was the first orphanage in Sierra Leone to successfully complete a transition from residential to family-based care. This case study highlights some of the key dynamics that arose throughout the transition of the orphanage and examines how those dynamics both influenced the transition and determined the type of support provided as well as the most appropriate transition strategy.

Facilitator's Guide: Practical Life Skills - Workshops for care leavers and those remaining in care aged 14 to 17 years old

Kenya Society of Care Leavers, Changing the Way We Care, 31 Aug 2021

This series of resources are designed by care leavers for care leavers to help equip youth for life outside of care, strengthen coping strategies, foster safety nets and community networks. This Facilitator's Guide is based on the 10 to 13 guidebook and 18 to 25 guidebook.