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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Report on Results of the Implementation of the Action Plan for Improving Child Care with the Target of Safely Returning 30 Percent of Children in Residential Care to their Families by 2019

Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), 2020

This report presents the outcomes of the implementation of the Cambodian Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY) Action Plan for Improving Child Care and the safe return of 30 per cent of children in residential care to their families, including key achievements, lessons learned, and recommendations going forward.

Continuing Care and the Welfare Assessment: Practice Note

Kenny McGhee (CELCIS), Julia Donnelly (Clan Childlaw), Alison Jamieson (Care Inspectorate), 2020

This Practice Note clarifies the legislative requirements in Scotland when undertaking a Welfare Assessment to support planning for a looked after young person to ‘stay put’ in a care placement under Continuing Care arrangements.

Support for Youth Leaving Care: A National Research Study, India

Kiran Modi, Lakshmi Madhavan, Leena Prasad, Gurneet Kalra, Suman Kasana, and Sanya Kapoor - International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 2020

This paper is a condensed version of a study entitled “Beyond 18: Leaving Child Care Institutions - Supporting Youth Leaving Care: A Study of Aftercare Practices in Five States of India”, which found that upon turning 18, youth transitioning out of child care institutions to independent life in India experience many challenges, such as securing housing and identity documents; accessing education, skill development, and employment opportunities; and garnering psychosocial support.

FICE paper Jan 2021.pdf

Partnering for Family Success: Final Evaluation Report

Crampton, D., Fischer, R., Richter, F., Collins, C. C., Bai, R., & Henderson, M. - Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, 2020

This report presents the results of an evaluation of the Partnering for Family Success (PFS) program, which was conceived as an innovative intervention to address the particular needs of housing unstable families who had a child in the custody of the county child welfare agency.

Deinstitutionalisation Practice Model: A Guide for Residential Homes for Children (Ghana 2020)

Bethany Christian Services, 2020

The aim of this deinstitutionalisation (DI) model is to give guidance and a clear, practical approach for deinstitutionalisation for Residential Homes for Children (RHC) in Ghana.

Какая? Кто? Как? Руководство для детей и молодых людей, которые собираются покинуть или уже покинули службы альтернативного ухода

Changing the Way We Care, Lumos Foundation, Maestral, Catholic Relief Services, 2020

Данное руководство предназначено для детей и молодежи, выходящих или вышедших из служб альтернативного ухода, и содержит информацию и советы, которые помогут им развить навыки, необходимые для жизни. Государственным учреждениям, некоммерческим организациям, а также всем, кто предоставляет поддержку молодым людям покидающим службы ухода, рекомендуется распечатать и распространить среди них данное руководство.

Youth-Centered Transition Planning for Students With Disabilities Who Experience Foster Care

Robin Harwick - Special Education Design and Development Tools for School Rehabilitation Professionals, 2020

This chapter describes a youth-centered approach to transition planning for this vulnerable population and highlights essential elements to consider during the process such as disability, mental health, trauma, resilience, self-determination, culture, and how trauma impacts mental health.

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Case Study on Family-Based Care. ACE Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia

Simon Kanyemob, Shoshon Tama, Gabriel Walder - Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE), 2020

The goal of this case study is to demonstrate a working model of family-based care in Zambia which can produce a replicable framework that can be modified for other regions and circumstances.

Care Leavers' Perspectives on the Family in the Transition from Out-of-Home Care to Independent Living

Stephan Sting and Maria Groinig - International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 2020

The first section of this paper describes the various links between care leavers and their families based on a literature review. In the second section, the biographical relevance of the family is highlighted based on the example of a qualitative interview study about the educational pathways of 20- to 27-year-old care leavers.

Khmer: Report on Results of the Implementation of the Action Plan for Improving Child Care with the Target of Safely Returning 30 Percent of Children in Residential Care to their Families by 2019

Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), 2020

This report (in Khmer) presents the outcomes of the implementation of the Action Plan for improving child care with the target of safely returning 30 per cent of children in residential care to their families, including key achievements, lessons learned, and recommendations going forward.