Special Issue of the International Journal of Longitudinal and Life Course Studies: Outcomes of children raised in out-of-home care

Abstract

The aim of this special issue of the International Journal of Longitudinal and Life Course Studies is to examine the outcomes of children who were raised for part of their childhood in out-of-home care, including in foster care and institutions. There is a growing body of literature examining the transition to adulthood for young people leaving care. While these studies generally show that youths raised in care are at risk of experiencing adverse outcomes in adulthood, the amount of literature is still small. This special issue was initiated to bring together studies on the aftercare experiences of women and men, from a variety of disciplines, covering different countries and historical periods.

Articles in this special issue include:

• Living Situations and Social Support in the Era of Extended Foster Care: A View from the U.S.

• The long-term effects of out-of-home placement in late adolescence: A propensity score matching analysis among Swiss youths

• Changing fortunes? Aspiration and realisation for looked after young people’s post-compulsory educational pathways in England

• Voicing young and older adult care-leavers in Belgium: How the experience of being in care shapes narratives of the self

• Adult outcomes of youths who have spent time in a judicial treatment institution in the Netherlands