Care leavers, ambiguous loss and early parenting: explaining high rates of pregnancy and parenting amongst young people transitioning from out-of-home care

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 241-248
Author(s):  
Jade Purtell ◽  
Philip Mendes ◽  
Bernadette J. Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ambiguous Loss ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Early Parenting ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
Care Leaver

AbstractThis paper is a narrative review examining the high prevalence of care leaver early parenting in the context of (i) key transitions from care studies taken from the last few decades, (ii) a structured review using Scopus of studies from 2015–2020 focussed specifically on young people transitioning from care and early parenting and (iii) Boss’s (2010) Ambiguous Loss theory. Young care leavers’ challenges, in general, put them at higher risk of protective interventions with their children and may contribute to the growing numbers of children being placed in increasingly over-stretched out-of-home care systems. Questions of surveillance bias for service-connected young people are examined in light of recent large-scale studies using administrative data sets. Serious oversights in responding to young people’s experiences of trauma and exploitation are identified. The relevance of sexual health programs for young people actively seeking pregnancies is discussed with emerging evidence that disengagement from schooling may have more of a role in explaining early pregnancy and parenting than previously thought. The authors test the relevance of Ambiguous Loss theory in understanding how removal from families of origin and placement experiences may affect young people and lead to ‘wanted’ pregnancies.

What Does International Research Identify as the Best Practice Housing Pathways for Young People Transitioning from Out of Home Care?

2021 ◽  
pp. 234930032110643
Author(s):  
Jacinta Chavulak ◽  
Philip Mendes
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Affordable Housing ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Transition Planning ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Extended Care ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
Housing Pathways

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care (often called care leavers) are globally a disadvantaged group who can be particularly vulnerable to experiences of housing instability and homelessness. This article presents a scoping review of international scholarly literature pertaining to housing pathways for care leavers from 2015–2020. The 15 publications identified were analysed according to location, methodology, sample accessed, key findings regarding housing pathways and outcomes, and recommendations for policy and practice reform. Our findings suggest that good transition planning, continuing support from responsible adults, the availability of safe and affordable housing and extended care till at least 21 years should enable more positive housing transitions.

The Experiences of Indigenous Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care in Victoria, Australia

2019 ◽  
pp. 149-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Mendes ◽  
Bernadette Saunders ◽  
Susan Baidawi
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Support Services ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Indigenous Children ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
The Impact

This chapter reports on exploratory research in Victoria, Australia, involving focus groups and interviews with service providers and Indigenous care leavers to examine the impact of existing support services. Indigenous children and young people are highly overrepresented in the Australian out-of-home care system. To date, neither specific research focusing on this group’s experiences as they transition from care nor an assessment of the Indigenous-specific and non-Indigenous supports and services available to them have been undertaken. Findings suggest that Aboriginal Community Controlled Organizations (ACCOs) play a positive role in working with non-Indigenous agencies to assist Indigenous care leavers. Participants identified a few key strategies to improve outcomes, such as facilitating stronger relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous services and improving ACCO resourcing.

Resilience, Transitions, and Youth Leaving Care

2019 ◽  
pp. 51-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robbie Gilligan
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Social Ecology ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
Youth Transitions

This chapter discusses resilience in the lives of care leavers. Youth transitions can be especially challenging for young adults who face major adversity in their lives as they negotiate early encounters with adult life. One such group is young people leaving out-of-home care at the official age, in many jurisdictions, of 18 years. Young people leaving care often do not have the luxury of extending the timing of their transitions, as may be the case for their peers not in care; circumstances force them to make early transitions and, typically, without the level of support their more fortunate peers may be able to call on. Yet many young adults leaving care do quite well; they manage to display resilience. They find resources in their social ecology which help them to manage the process of their transitions. This chapter explores the background to such displays of resilience and how former caregivers and other concerned adults may help to stimulate and sustain such resilience. It also argues that support from concerned adults in arenas such as education and work may be especially helpful in promoting resilience to adversity among youth transitioning to adulthood from care.

Policy and practice supports for young people transitioning from out-of-home care: An analysis of six recent inquiries in Australia

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 599-619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Mendes ◽  
Samone McCurdy
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
The Impact

Summary Government and parliamentary inquiries into child protection have historically exerted a significant impact on policy and practice reform. Yet to date, there has been no analysis of the impact of such inquiries on programme and service supports for young people transitioning from out-of-home care (often termed leaving care). This article uses a content analysis methodology to critically examine and compare the findings of six recent Australian child protection inquiries (five at state and territory level and one Commonwealth) in relation to their discrete sections on leaving care. Attention is drawn to how the policy issue is framed including key terminology, the major concerns identified, the local and international research evidence cited and the principal sources of information including whether or not priority is given to the lived experience of care leavers. Findings All six inquiries identified major limitations in leaving care legislation, policy and practice including poor outcomes in key areas such as housing, education and employment. There was a consensus that post-18 assistance should be expanded, and most of the reports agreed that greater attention should be paid to the specific cultural needs of the large number of Indigenous care leavers. Applications Care leavers universally are a vulnerable group; leaving care policy should be informed by the lived experience and expertise of care leavers; governments have a responsibility to provide ongoing supports beyond 18 years of age, particularly in areas such as housing and education, training and employment

scholarly journals Supporting Transition from Out of Home Care to Adulthood: Linked Data Is Central to The Compass Social Impact Bond

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Williams ◽  
Mark Sipthorp ◽  
Nicholas Ivkovic ◽  
Alexander Inglis
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Linked Data ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Service Use ◽  
Outcome Measurement ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Care Leavers

The COMPASS program supports young people to successfully transition from Out of Home Care to adulthood. COMPASS is a social impact bond partnership between Victorian government, not-for-profit organisations and investors. COMPASS uses linked data in every phase from design, to implementation, to outcome measurement. IntroductionStudies demonstrates that young care leavers experience significantly poorer outcomes than their peers. COMPASS is a preventative program progressivelyproviding 200 care leavers with access to housing and individualised support. The Centre for Victorian Data Linkage (CVDL) developed the Victorian Linkage Map (VLM) in 2016, linking 20 plus health and human services datasets with births and deaths data. Linked data provides a critical evidence base for COMPASS. Objectives and ApproachThe presentation describes application of linked data for COMPASS design, implementation and measurement. Linked data cohort analysis of post-care service use of 6000 young people informed the program design. Linked data also provides the basis for a stratification tool to measure the complexity profile of referrals. Health, housing and justice payable outcomes are measured by comparing relative performance of participants with a matched control group using linked data. ResultsImplementation of COMPASS has highlighted the value of linked data in service design and measurement of payable outcomes. It has also highlighted the challenges of using linked data in a real-world environment, including the need for thorough documentation and testing of specifications, calculations and processes. Conclusion / ImplicationsThe use of linked data for COMPASS provides a model for evidence-based service design and tests the use of linked data for robust and sustainable outcome measurement. The lessons from COMPASS are applicable to other social impact bonds and service implementation and outcome measurement more broadly.

Indigenous youth transitioning from out-of-home care in Australia: a study of key challenges and effective practice responses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Mendes ◽  
Rachel Standfield ◽  
Bernadette Saunders ◽  
Samone McCurdy ◽  
Jacinta Walsh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Support Systems ◽  
National Study ◽  
Effective Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Care Leavers

Purpose This paper aims to report on the findings of a qualitative study that explored the views of 53 service providers assisting Indigenous young people (known in Australia as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth) transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was adopted involving semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 53 representatives of state and territory government departments, non-government organisation service providers and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) across Australia. The project was designed to gain the perspectives of those working within the system and their views on how it interacts with Indigenous care leavers. Interview questions aimed to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of the leaving care support systems available to this cohort, as well as the key challenges facing service providers in supporting them. Finally, the study aimed to make recommendations for policy development in this area and identify potential best practice service responses. Findings The study found that the OOHC service systems continue to fail Indigenous care leavers, their families and communities. Study findings revealed that Indigenous care-leavers face substantial challenges and that the support systems for those leaving OOHC are often culturally insensitive and ineffective. Many Indigenous OOHC leavers lacked the supports they needed to develop safe and ongoing relationships with their traditional Country, family and communities. To promote more positive transitions and outcomes, effective practice responses were identified, including culturally safe programmes and proportional funding for ACCOs to advance greater self-determination. Originality/value This research is the first national study in Australia to examine the specific transition from care pathways and experiences of Indigenous young people. The findings add to the limited existing knowledge on Indigenous care leavers globally and should inform practice and policy innovations with this cohort in Australia and beyond.

Young People in, and Transitioning from, Out-of-home Care and their Mental Health Issues: A Call for Evidence

2014 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 200-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Baidawi ◽  
Philip Mendes ◽  
Pamela C. Snow
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Substantial Proportion ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Care Leavers ◽  
Care Outcomes

Young people leaving state out-of-home care are among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young Australians, and a substantial proportion experience mental health issues. This article reviews the literature relating to the mental health of care leavers, highlighting the gaps in the current Australian research base. Available studies indicate that mental health issues may worsen during the transition from care, yet mental and emotional health may also be neglected during this stressful period. Furthermore, care leavers with mental health issues are highly vulnerable to poor post-care outcomes, particularly homelessness. Implications for policy and research are discussed.

Pathways Into Youth Justice: Strengthening Policy and Program Supports for Young People in the Youth Justice System Who Are Transitioning From Out-of-Home Care

2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Mendes ◽  
Susan Baidawi
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Youth Justice ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Care Plans ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Care Leavers

Local and international research suggests an overrepresentation of young people leaving state out-of-home care in the youth justice system. A range of factors appear to contribute to this correlation including child abuse and neglect, placement instability, experiences of residential care, and unsupported transitions from care. This article presents the findings of a Victorian pilot study conducted in partnership with Whitelion, a not-for-profit organisation specifically offering support to ‘young people involved with or at risk of involvement with the youth justice and/or out-of-home care and leaving care services’ (Whitelion, 2012), to examine the interrelationship between the child protection and youth justice systems, and particularly to explore the processes that take place when young people involved in the youth justice system leave state care. A series of interviews and focus groups with Whitelion workers were used to explore whether leaving care plans and policies address and minimise involvement with youth justice; the role, if any, of formal consultations by child protection services with youth justice regarding this group of care leavers; and the ongoing role of youth justice postcare, particularly when young people are in custody at the time of their exit from care. Some significant implications for policy and practice are identified.

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