Transcript Care Leavers in Germany

What happens after
out-of-home care?
Models of good practice for Care Leavers
in Germany
Josef Koch, [email protected]
Britta Sievers, [email protected]
Homepage:
www.uni-hildesheim.de/careleaver
Structure
 Young people in Germany – some figures
 Residential and foster care in Germany –
some figures
 Care leavers in Germany - Key Issues
 Models of support for care leavers
 The „Care Leavers Project“
 Interview questions
 Call for good practice models
Young people in Germany
some figures
 In an overall population of 81,8 Million, a total
of 24,6 % was less than 26 years old (2010)
(Source: Destatis), 20.1 Million young people
 Nearly 1 Million (954.000) young people and
their families receive social provisions for
children and families with problems (in 2009)
(Source: KomDat 01/2011), 5 % of the age group 0 – 21 years
Residential and foster care in Germany
some figures
Cases (total)
Foster care (§ 33)
Residential care in institutions (§ 34)
1995
2000
2005
2010
48,021
48,993
50,364
60,451
69,969
69,723
61,806
63,191
Care Leavers in Germany
Key Issues
 young people who grew up in care are
disproportionately disadvantaged in terms of
educational outcomes
 „double discrimination“ on the labour market due to
their biographical background and the lower level of
qualification
 generally, for all adolescents the transition to
adulthood is more open and uncertain and it often
expands to the third live decade
(It no longer exists a clear path such as: school 
apprenticeship  employemt).
Average age when leaving home
men
women
Care?
26
2010:
Foster care:
15–18:
9.973
over 18–21: 3.480
over 21:
245
24
22
20
18
16
Residential care:
15-18:
23.046
over 18-21: 8.775
over 21:
672
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Männer
Frauen
HzE?
Care Leavers in Germany
Key Issues
 Care leavers are forced to live independently
at an earlier stage of their life because
residential care is terminated earlier
(compared to the situation some years ago).
 There are great regional differences
regarding support for young adults
(residential and foster care, § 41 SGB VIII, 18 to 21 years)
 Residential care for over 18 years old is
decreasing although this group continues to
face many difficulties in their transition to
adulthood
(total,18-21 years, 2000: 12.312; 2005: 9.032; 2010: 8.775)
Care Leavers in Germany
Key Issues
 German youth policy so far barely
acknowledges the difficulties this group of
young people face
(focus in youth welfare is presently on smaller children, early
intervention and child protection)
 little knowledge on process of transition from
care as well as on outcomes and the situation
of young adults after they have left care
Care Leavers in Germany
Key Issues
 Complex legal framework
(different responsibilities often lead to disruptions of the relationship to carers or
other helpers)
 Child and Youth Welfare
(§ 41 SGB VIII)
 Labour administration
(support in finding employment, SGB II and III)
 Social Services for persons with special needs
(assistance for ill, disabled or persons with emotional problems, SGB XII)
 Aliens law: relevant for migrants with a foreign nationality
(especially if they do not have a secure residence right / unaccompanied minor
refugees)
Models of support for care leavers
 Assisted housing: eg. from foster or residential care
move to accomodation with social worker support
 Mentoring programmes: long term support
relationship offered to care leavers to assist in findig
their way through the system(s) and to offer
continuity
(mostly for care leavers living in residential care)
 Youth seminars covering the issues identity, puberty
and independence / separation from carers
(especially for foster children)
The Care Leavers Project
 Project Partners: IGfH - German Section of FICE and University
of Hildesheim (Institute for Social and Organizational Pedagogy)
 Subsidized by Stiftung Deutsche Jugendmarke e.V. (Youth
Stamp Foundation Germany)
 Running from January 2012 until December 2013
Project Aims:
 to describe models of good practice for supporting adolescents
and young adults in Germany who are leaving care (residential
or foster care) in their transition to adulthood,
 to discuss these models in the light of experiences made in
Germany and abroad,
 make the project findings available for use in pedagogical
practice in the form of a workbook.
The Care Leavers Project
Project Elements
2012:
Research of models of good
practice in Germany
and other countries
Literature Research
Analysis of key issues
in Germany
Research of good practice in
Germany and abroad
Interviews with practitioners
2013:
Transfer of findings into the
practice of youth welfare
National
Expert
Workshops
International
Expert
Workshop
W
O
R
K
B
O
O
K
The Care Leavers Project
some interview questions
 When does – in your experience - the process of





transition generally start and who initiates it?
How would a typical case in your practice look like?
Do you / does your agency work with a special model
or concept to support the transition process or is
there an „informal“ good practice when working with
care leavers?
What are - in your opinion - criteria for a successfull
transition process?
What role does the family, social workers etc. play in
this process?
What are typical barriers, problems and challenges
for a care leaver in your country?
Call for good practice models
Please get in touch with us
 if you / your agency / your youth welfare office
has already developed services for supporting
the transition of adolescents / young adults from
residential or foster care
or
 if you know of such models in your country.
Thank You !!!
Please contact:
Josef Koch, [email protected]
Britta Sievers, [email protected]