Understanding And Supporting The Transition To Adulthood Of Youth Involved In Child Welfare

The transition to adulthood is a developmental stage that has a significant impact on a young person’s growth. Many youth involved in child welfare, particularly those in out-of-home care do not have the option as most youth to reside with their family and receive parental support into their adult years. Research demonstrates that youth transitioning out of care are at risk of poor outcomes as compared to their peers, suggesting that existing programs are insufficient in preparing them for the transition. Recognizing the need to better support youth involved in child welfare, Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, an integrated child welfare agency, invited the Teen Relationships research team to collaborate on this dissertation to better understand and support the resilience of youth involved in child welfare during the critical period of transition to adulthood. Study 1 is a qualitative interview study of the experiences of young adults who have navigated the transition from care to adulthood to understand how they conceptualized their perceived readiness for transition to adulthood and identify the factors that promoted and hindered their readiness. Results indicate that while young adults experienced many challenges and reported not feeling fully supported by others and different from their peers, they persevered through the demands of adulthood by drawing on their desire and perceived capacity for autonomy and independence, as well as the support from some of their close relationships. Study 2 is an exploratory, longitudinal, mixed-method evaluation of the Milestone Program, developed by foster parents to support care providers in promoting youth’s relationships and transition to adulthood outcomes while the youth are in out-of-home placement. Findings show that youth and care providers reported positive changes in their youth-care provider relationships, youth’s perceived readiness for transition to adulthood, and care provider’s confidence in supporting youth’s transition after participating in the program for six months. Youth and care providers also identified positive program experiences, as well as challenges in engaging with the program. This study offers preliminary evidence on the values of focusing on relationship development and skills-building as part of promoting the successful transition to adulthood of youth in out-of-home care.