Emancipation of young people leaving alternative care: Challenges and chances

Abstract

Young people who are preparing to leave alternative care to independence face numerous challenges. However, a number of youth were able to overcome difficulties and these young people achieve a stable environment arragements. The research is part of a larger study and findings from the focus groups will be presented. There were five focus groups which involved 26 young people in care (kinship, foster and residential). Data collection is in a function of a closer consideration of the ways in which young people participate in planning how to understand their part in this process, what are their fears and challenges, but also sources of support that are available to them during the process of preparation for emancipation. Despite the fact that most young people in the sample estimated to possess the skills of taking care of themselfs, the youth still experience lack of support and lack of readiness for leaving care. These findings suggest the need for a timely preparation for independence, which focuses work on the life story to strengthen the faith in their own abilities.

Mladi koji se spremaju da napuste alternativno staranje radi osamostaljivanja suočavaju se sa brojnim izazovima. Ipak, kod jednog broja mladih uspevaju da prevladaju snage i ovi mladi ostvaruju stabilne životne aranžmane. Istraživanje je deo veće studije, a biće prikazani nalazi dobijeni u fokus grupama. Obavljeno je pet fokus grupa u kojima je učestvovalo 26 mladih koji se nalaze na smeštaju (srodnički, hraniteljski i rezidencijalni). Prikupljanje podataka je u funkciji bližeg sagledavanja načina na koje mladi učestvuju u planiranju, kako razumeju svoje učešće u tom procesu, kakvi su im strahovi i izazovi, ali i izvori podrške koji su im na raspolaganju u toku procesa pripreme za emancipaciju. Uprkos tome što većina mladih iz uzorka procenjuje da raspolaže veštinama staranja o sebi, mladi ipak doživljavaju izostanak podrške i nedovoljne spremnosti za napuštanje staranja. Ovi nalazi upućuju da je potrebna pravovremena priprema za osamostaljivanje, koja je fokusirana na rad na životnoj priči kako bi se ojačala vera u sopstvene sposobnosti.