Social inclusion and life satisfaction of care leavers

Authors

  • Eduardo Martín Cabrera Universidad de La Laguna http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8004-9776
  • Patricia González Navasa Universidad de La Laguna
  • Elena Chirino Alemán Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
  • José Juan Castro Sánchez Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7179/PSRI_2020.35.08

Keywords:

residential care, care leavers, transition into adulthood, social inclusion, life satisfaction

Abstract

The need to accord attention to care leavers has gained recognition in legislative terms, given that research has proven that this group faces a high risk of social exclusion. The aim of this article is to deepen knowledge of social inclusion and life satisfaction of youngsters who abandoned residential care resources and reached the age of majority. For that purpose, phone interviews were conducted to 117 youngsters who had formerly been provided with residential care and were between 18 and 26 years old at the time of the survey. The outcome showed that the majority returns to their families, which are their main source of support.

On the other side, it has been proved that this group of people present low qualifications, employability and incomes. Moreover, their life satisfaction is also very low. The results are discussed with regards to previous research and legislative initiatives which are implemented in order to cater for this group

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Eduardo Martín Cabrera, Universidad de La Laguna

Profesor Titular de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación. Director del Grupo de Investigación en Protección Infantil

Patricia González Navasa, Universidad de La Laguna

Doctora en Psicología y miembro del Grupo de Investigación en Protección Infantil

Elena Chirino Alemán, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Profesora Ayudante Doctor del Departamento de Psicología y Sociología

José Juan Castro Sánchez, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

Profesora Titular de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación en el Departamento de Psicología y Sociología

References

Alonso, E., Santana, L. E., & Feliciano, L. (2018). Trayectorias de empleabilidad de los jóvenes que abandonan el sistema de protección. Educatio Siglo XXI, 36, 485-504. http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/j/350101

Arnau, L., & Gilligan, R. (2015). What helps young care leavers to enter the world of work? Possible lessons learned from Ireland and Catalonia. Children and Youth Services Review, 53, 185-191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyou-th.2015.03.027

Balsells, M.A., Pastor, C., Matos, A., Vaquero, E., & Urrea, A. (2015). Exploring the needs of parents for achieving reuni¬fication: the views of foster children, birth family and social workers in Spain. Children and Youth Services Review, 48, 159-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.12.016

Bravo, A., & Del Valle, J.F. (2003). Las redes de apoyo social de los adolescentes acogidos en residencias de protección. Un análisis comparativo con población normativa. Psicothema, 15, 136-142.

Butterworth, S., Singh, S. P., Birchwood, M., Islam, Z., Munro, E., Vostanis, P., …Simkiss, D. (2017). Transitioning care-lea¬vers with mental health needs: ‘they set you up to fail!’ Child and Adolescent Mental Health 22, 138–147. https://doi. org/10.1111/camh.12171

Campbell, A., Converse, P. E., & Rodgers, W. L. (1976). The quality of american life: Perceptions, evaluations and satis¬faction. Nueva York: Russell Sage.

Casas, F., Fernández-Artamendi, S., Montserrat, C., Bravo, A., Bertrán, I., & Del Valle, J.F. (2013). El bienestar subjetivo en la adolescencia: estudio comparativo de dos comunidades autónomas en España. Anales de Psicología, 29, 148- 158. https://doi.org/ 10.6018/analesps.29.1.145281

Comasòlivas, A., Sala, J., & Marzó, T.E. (2018). Los recursos residenciales para la transición hacia la vida adulta de los jóvenes tutelados en Cataluña. Pedagogía Social. Revista Interuniversitaria, 31, 125-137. https://doi.org/10.7179/ PSRI_2018.31.10

Courtney, M., Dworsky, A., Lee, J., & Raap, M. (2010). Midwest evaluation of adult functioning of former youth: outcomes at ages 23 and 24. Chicago: ChapinHall at the University of Chicago.

Cuenca, M. E., Campos, G., & Goig, R. M. (2018). El tránsito a la vida adulta de los jóvenes en acogimiento residencial: el rol de la Familia. Educación XX1, 21, 321-344. https://doi.org/ 10.5944/educXX1.16510

Del Valle, J. F., & Bravo, A. (2013). Current trends, figures and challenges in out of home child care: An international comparative analysis. Psychosocial Intervention, 22, 251-257. http://dx.doi.org/10.5093/in2013a28

Del Valle, J.F., Bravo, A., Alvarez, E., & Fernanz, A. (2008). Adult self-sufficiency and social adjustment in care leavers from children homes: a long-term assessment. Child and Family Social Work, 13, 12-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365- 2206.2007.00510.x

Del Valle, J. F., Bravo, A., Martínez, M., & Santos, I. (2012). Estándares de calidad en acogimiento residencial: EQUAR. Madrid: Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad.

Dixon, J. (2016). Opportunities and challenges: supporting journeys into education and employment for young people leaving care in England. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 263, 13-29.

Dregan, A., & Gulliford, M. C. (2012). Foster care, residential care and public care placement patterns are associated with adult life trajectories: population-based cohort study. Social Psychiatric and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 47, 1517- 1526. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-011-0458-5

Dumart, A. C., Donati, P., & Crost, M. (2011). After a long-term placement: investigating educational achievement, behaviour and transition to independent living. Children and Society, 25, 215-227. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099- 0860.2009.00283.x

Goig, R., & Martínez, I. (2019). La transición a la vida adulta de los jóvenes extutelados. Una Mirada hacia la dimension “vida residencial”. Bordón, 71, 71-84. https://doi.org/10.13042/Bordon.2019.67905

González-García, C., Bravo, A., Arruabarrena, M.I., Martín, E., Santos, I., & Del Valle, J.F. (2017). Emotional and behavioral problems of children in residential care: Screening detection and referrals to mental health services. Children and Youth Services Review, 73, 100-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.12.011

Jariot, M., Sala, J., & Arnau, L. (2015). Jóvenes tutelados y transición a la vida independiente: indicadores de éxito. Re¬vista Española de Orientación y Psicopedagogía, 26, 90-103.

Jozefiak, T., Kayed, N. S., Rimehaug, T., Wormdal, W., Brubakk, A. M., & Wichstrom, L. (2016). Prevalence and comorbidity of mental disorders among adolescents living in residential youth care. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 25, 33-47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-015-0700-x

Leloux-Opmeer, H., Kuiper, C., Swaab, H., & Scholte, E. (2016). Characteristics of children in foster care, family-style group care, and residential care: a scoping review. Child and Family Studies, 25, 2357-2371. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10826-016-0418-5

Llosada-Gistau, J., Montserrat, C., & Casas, F. (2015). The subjective well-being of adolescents in residential care com¬pared to that of the general population. Children and Youth Services Review, 52, 150-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. childyouth.2014.11.007

López, M., Santos, I., Bravo, A., & Del Valle, J. F. (2013). El proceso de transición a la vida adulta de jóvenes acogidos en el sistema de protección infantil. Anales de Psicología, 29, 187-196. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.29.1.130542

Martín, E., & Dávila, L. M. (2008). Redes de apoyo social y adaptación de los menores en acogimiento residencial. Psi¬cothema, 20, 229-235.

Martín, E., Muñoz de Bustillo, M. C., Rodríguez, T., & Pérez, Y. (2008). De la residencia a la escuela: la integración social de los menores en acogimiento residencial con el grupo de iguales en el contexto escolar. Psicothema, 20, 376-382.

Martín, E., & Suárez, H. (2018). La investigación en desprotección infantil. Cuadernos de Trabajo Social, 31, 189-198. https://doi.org/10.5209/CUTS.52753.

Martín, E., Rodríguez, T., & Torbay, A. (2007). Evaluación diferencial de los programas de acogimiento residencial para menores. Psicothema, 19, 406-412.

Martín, E., Torbay, A., & Rodríguez, T. (2008). Cooperación familiar y vinculación del menor con la familia en los progra¬mas de acogimiento residencial. Anales de Psicología, 24, 25-32.

Melendro, M. (2011). El tránsito a la vida adulta de los jóvenes en dificultad social: la incidencia de la intervención socioeducativa y la perspectiva de profesionales y empresarios. Revista de Educación, 356, 327-352. https://doi. org/10-4438/1988-592X-RE-2010-356-042

Melkman, P. (2017). Childhood adversity, social support networks and well-being among youth aging out of care: an exploratory study of mediation. Child Abuse and Neglect, 72, 85-97. https://doi.org/j.chiabu.2017.07.020.

Montserrat, C., Casas, F., & Malo, S. (2013). Delayed educational pathways and risk of social exclusion: the case of young people from public care in Spain. European Journal of Social Work 16, 6–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2012. 722981

Observatorio de la Infancia (2018). Boletín Nº 20 de datos estadísticos de medidas de protección a la infancia. Madrid: Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social.

Portwood, S. G., Boyd, S. A., Nelson, E. B., Murdock, T. B., Hamilton, J., & Miller, A. D. (2018). A comparison of outcomes for children and youth in foster and residential group care across agencies. Children and Youth Services Review, 85, 19-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.11.027

Samuels, G.M., & Pryce, J.P. (2008). What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Survivalist self-reliance as resilience and risk among young adults aging out of foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 1198-1210. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.03.005

Sulimani-Aidan, Y. (2014). Care leavers’ challenges in transition to independent living. Children and Youth Services Re¬view, 46, 38-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.07.022

Published

2020-01-20