A scoping review of policies and practices to support young people transitioning from out-of-home care in Asia

Abstract

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC), globally known as care leavers, are recognized as a vulnerable group relative to non-care-experienced young people. Previous literature from Indonesia reveals the need for policy and formal support for care leavers. This study is part of a doctoral study focusing on young people transitioning from out-of-home care in Indonesia, in which the first author, an Indonesian researcher, scopes the primary studies and peer-reviewed articles available in jurisdictions that have cultural, social, and geographical proximity with Indonesia.

This study used a scoping review method proposed by Arksey and O’Malley (2005). The authors searched six known databases. From 2,893 articles screened, 65 articles underwent a full-text review, and a total of 21 studies met the inclusion criteria for this scoping study.

Several themes emerged from the scoping review including: (1) Inadequate formal leaving care and aftercare support for care leavers; (2) Promising practices of leaving care and after care intervention; (3) Residential care settings (RCS) as major care arrangements and their impact on young people leaving out-of-home care in Asia; (4) Poor preparation and insufficient support within out-of-home care (OOHC) settings; (5) Stigma and cultural barriers after leaving care, especially for girls and young women; (6) The importance of informal support from others while transitioning into adulthood; (7) The significance of independent living skills for care leavers; and (8) Care leavers’ resilience, and coping mechanisms. Discussions and policy implications are further discussed.