From care to independence - supporting vulnerable young adults

27 January 12

News coverage over the past fortnight has highlighted the challenges that many young people in care face when they reach 18 and are effectively discharged from the childcare system. While other young people will be celebrating their 18th birthdays, overnight these young adults find themselves facing life alone for the first time.

Last week care-leavers in Jordan congregated outside the Royal Court to protest at the lack of support available when they reached ‘adulthood’ and left the care system. Reflecting the situation for care-leavers across the developing and developed world, young people leaving institutions in Jordan are at increased risk of homelessness, unemployment, and poverty.   

The state of California in the USA has also acknowledged the disadvantages which young adults leaving care face, highlighting that this issue is not isolated to developing countries. This month a law has taken effect in California which makes it possible for vulnerable young people to remain in foster care until they are 21 and receive housing support and extended services focussed on supporting them to become independent.

We know from experience that, for those who grow up in an institution, the route to independent life is often a difficult one. Many of these young adults will have spent their whole childhood in the system, and lack basic life skills and experience. Even if they manage to navigate through the many obstacles when they first leave, starting their own families brings its own challenges. With little or no experience of family life themselves, they often lack the most basic experience required to provide a stable environment for their own children.

In the countries where we work, we support these young adults to find housing and jobs and teach them the life skills they need to succeed. We will support them again if they face hard times when they come to have their own children, breaking a cycle which too often sees the children of care-leavers entering institutions themselves.

With just a little support, we know that these young people can go on to lead happy, independent lives and have families of their own.

Read more about our work or donate now to help us support even more children.