In last week’s blog, I described how the transition of being cared for as a child to living independently as an adult should happen gradually for young adults, in order to be successful. I also mentioned that unfortunately support for care leavers is often still lacking and young adults are left to fend for themselves once they reach the age of 18.
This week I want to talk about how to support young adults who have grown up in an institution, once they venture out into the world.
We are talking here about young adults who at the time of their 18th birthday had been living in an institution for some time, because they were unable to live with their own family. The situation is similar for young adults who grew up in a group home that is more like a miniature institution, rather than a family-like situation set within the community.
What is the best solution for an individual young adult, must always be evaluated for each person involved. However, there are some general statements that can be made.
Young adults who grew up in an institution are at a disadvantage compared to those growing up in foster families, as has been described in various blogs before. Not only because institutionalisation impairs regular brain development, but also because they grew up cut off from the community. This means that they have not had the opportunity to learn how life in the outside world works and how to cope with it, as children usually do in the course of their childhood and teenage years. This makes young adults who emerge from institutions less likely to succeed on their own, if they are not provided with support.
Because of this, it is usually a better idea to provide these young adults – or even children in their late teens – the opportunity to learn more about living in the community and caring for themselves under supervision for some time, rather than just setting them loose. Projects like this are usually called ‘supported living’ or something along those lines.
What it entails is that a living unit is set up within the community where 4-6 children over the age of 16 or young adults live together, with a kind of mentor. This mentor is not there as a caregiver. He or she is usually someone only a few years older than the children or young adults receiving support. The mentor’s job is to be there to show the house mates how to take care of themselves, rather than doing things for them. The mentor is there to give advice and suggestions. They can help the housemates with how to look for a job, or open a bank account, for example. And they are someone to talk to, when one of the young people is struggling or worrying about something, and someone to celebrate their successes with.
As described in the previous blog, over time the young adults will become more confident and skilled in taking care of themselves and facing independent life. They will be less and less in need of support and assistance and at a certain point they will feel ready to find a place of their own and enjoy real independence. Ideally, even after a young adult has moved out of a supported living unit, he should still have the opportunity to come back for advice when he runs into things that he is unable to cope with and has no one else to help him with.
Thankfully not all children who age out – turn 18 – of an institution are in need of further outside support. Because many of them do have parents and/or extended family, their own family may be able to provide them with the back-up and support they need as they grow more independent. Though it would be good to check with individual families, whether they require any support to be able to help the young adult from there on.
In next week’s blog I will discuss some options of providing support to young adults who grew up in foster care.
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