Young adults transitioning from institutional care to independent living: The role of aftercare support and services

Abstract

This study was conducted on 47 young adults, between the ages of 17 and 29 years in 2017–2018. The sample represents a vulnerable population of children who grow up in various government and non-government child care institutions of New Delhi, India. The Juvenile Justice Act (2015) of India ordains for ‘aftercare’, which includes support and services in the domains of education, housing, skill development and vocational training, employment, financial assistance, medical aid and counselling. The sample consists of 29 aftercare receivers (62%), 13 non-receivers (28%) and 5 young adults who were unsure of aftercare provision (10%). Comparisons between aftercare receivers and non-receivers are made using cross-tabulations on the data obtained through young adults’ interviews. The analysis revealed that the existing aftercare programmes are ill-equipped to prepare Out-of-Home Care (OHC) youth to transition from alternative care to independent living. Although aftercare receivers obtained higher level of education than non-receivers, a gender-gap was observed with females having a lower education-level than males. Most female aftercare receivers were provided residential services in an institutional setup which fall short of preparing them for independent life in the future. Moreover, almost an equal number of receivers and nonreceivers experienced mental/emotional stresses suggesting that aftercare provision has failed to address their overall psychological well-being. Young adults also struggled in finding employment, and most females did not have their own sources of income compared to males, regardless of aftercare provision. The study concludes that the current aftercare programming is neither comprehensive nor adequate because receivers and non-receivers face similar issues of obtaining higher education and skills, achieving financial independence, maintaining physical and mental well-being, securing adequate housing and developing reliable social networks. There is also an acute gender disparity in the provision of aftercare; and gender-specific strategies need to be developed to improve the efficacy of aftercare in New Delhi.