Do supported transitions from foster care achieve better outcomes for young people? : an evaluation of young people's perspectives and experiences of Dingwall Trust's Launch Care to Independence service : a research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the Master of Social Work (Applied), Massey University, Albany campus
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Date
2010
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Massey University
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Abstract
Readiness to live independently vs. the age a young person is forced to do so ("Ageing out of
care") is a much debated issue within the research on foster care leavers and as a response
programmes designed to facilitate a young person's transition from care began emerging
internationally during the 1990s under an umbrella of transition from care (TFC) schemes.
In New Zealand a TFC initiative was established, by the Statutory Department of Child, Youth
and Family Services, in Auckland in 2004 and delivered by the non-government agencies
Dingwall Trust and Youth Horizons which developed pilot TFC schemes. This research aims
to evaluate the continued need and effectiveness of Dingwall Trust's scheme, Launch Care
to Independence (CTI) Service, through the shared opinions and experiences of young
people who were placed in foster care and transitioned on to independent living through
engagement with this programme. This study explores the challenges faced by youth who
have left care within a New Zealand cultural context.
Seven young people agreed to take part in this study and participated in a semi-structured
interview process with a qualitative research design. An analysis of the interview data
found that a young person's journey in foster care did impact their transition to
independent living both in positive and negative ways. The assistance provided through the
Launch CTI Service was perceived as necessary, relevant and young person focussed. The
outcomes achieved through their engagement with the programme were generally good in
areas of accommodation, continued education aspirations and living skills; however other
areas such as employment and leaving school educational attainment revealed poorer
outcomes for the majority of the group. The findings suggested that consistent, innovative
and participatory relationships between young people and their Social Worker are most
likely to develop a pathway in which positive outcomes can be achieved by the young
person. This paper also illustrated the vulnerability of young people during their foster care
experiences and the integral role of informal social networks in the provision of long-term
support for young people transitioning to independent living.
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Keywords
Foster children, Foster home care