Leaving Care and the Transition to Adulthood

Varda R. Mann-Feder is Professor of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia University and the founding Program Director for the Graduate Diploma in Youth Work. Dr. Mann-Feder is known for her research on aging out of care and her advocacy on behalf of youth in placement. She worked for many years as a consulting Psychologist in the Anglophone Child Welfare System in Montreal where she provided intervention training to front line workers in a range of domains, including group work and the assessment of Parental Capacity.Martin Goyette is Professor at the National School of Public Administration (ENAP), Montreal, Quebec, Canada and a holder of the Canada Research Chair in Evaluating Public Actions Related to Young People and Vulnerable Populations (CREVAJ). His research interests are situated in the area of young people's transition to adulthood with a focus on care leavers, more specifically, exploring the dynamics of social inclusion/exclusion and social network analysis. He was thePrincipal investigator of over thirty studies, notably four longitudinal studies about the future of youth in care.

• ForewordJeffrey Jensen ArnettIntroductionVarda R. Mann-Feder Part One: Theoretical Perspectives1. How can I be a real adult? Developmental Theory as a Framework for Practice, Policy and Research on Care Leaving Varda R. Mann-Feder2. Social Networks and Social Support in the Transition to Adulthood: A Reflection on Social Integration ProcessesMartin Goyette3. Resilience, Transitions and Youth Leaving CareRobbie Gilligan 4. Approaches to Realising the Rights of Young People Leaving out of Home CareEmily R. Munro5. Leaving Care Policy as Scaffolding for Resilience John Pinkerton and Adrian Van Breda Part Two: Research Contributions6. The Transition to Adulthood from Care: A Review of Current Research Élodie Marion and Veronika Paulsen7. The Benefits of Extending State Care to Young Adults: Evidence from the United States of America Mark E. Courtney 8. The Experiences of Indigenous Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care in Victoria, Australia Philip Mendes, Bernadette Saunders and Susan Baidawi9. Leaving Child Protection at Age 18 or Continuing in Young Adult ProtectionIsabelle Frechon and Lucy Marquette10. Foster Care as a Support System for Early Leavers Doug Magnuson, Mikael Jansson and Cecilia Benoit 11. Research on Care Leavers from JordanRawan W. IbrahimPart Three: Practice Issues12. Indigenous Youth Leaving Care in Canada: Lessons from our Past and Present Elizabeth Fast, Zeina Ismail Allouche, Marie-Eve Drouin Gagné and Vicky Boldo 13. Mental Health and Suicide Concerns: Youth Work Practice Implications with Young People Leaving Care Patti Ranahan14. Caring Adults 'R' Everywhere (C.A.R.E.)©- Leveraging the Power of Relationships to Change the Lives of Foster Youth Johanna K.P. Greeson and Allison E. Thompson 15. Care Leaving and the Transition Jungle in GermanySeverine Thomas, Carolin Ehlke, Josef Koch and Wolfgang Schröer16. Earning a Hoodie, Voyager Capital: Peers as Social Capital, Transitioning Young People from Care TogetherKim SnowAfterwordMartin Goyette

This important book explores young people's transitions from care to adulthood by drawing on and integrating theoretical, research, and practice perspectives. In addressing current gaps in theoretical knowledge, it discusses the contribution of developmental theory, social networks, resilience, and rights perspectives. This provides the foundation for the presentation of original research studies from six very different countries and leads into an exploration of topical practice issues, including mental health, empowerment, peer support, and the experiences of indigenous youth leaving care. This volume provides new and challenging international insights into the emerging adulthood of care leavers; it is essential reading for all those who work with young people aging out of care, including practitioners from different agencies, policy makers, researchers, and students.