Social support provided to care leavers by the residential care facility during their transition to independent living

Abstract

Certain factors, according to the Children’s Act (38 of 2005), stipulate the need for children to be put in care, which includes being placed at Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs). However, these children are compelled to leave care and make the transition to independent living between the ages of 18 and 21 years. During the pre-transition phase, the care leavers are being prepared for independent living. Yet, it seems that a need exists for continued contact and social support by the residential care facility during the transition phase to independent living. This study explored the social support of the residential care facility to care leavers during the transition phase to independent living as perceived by the social workers as well as the care leavers. Methodologically, the study followed a qualitative descriptive research design to guide this study and to offer the researcher more insight into such an event in everyday terms. This design also allowed the researcher to stay closer to the data and to adequately carry the data over to the reader. Participants were sampled through purposive sampling from two different population groups, namely care leavers and social workers. Semi-structured one-on-one interviews with the care leavers as well as the social workers were used as the data collection method in order to gain a detailed picture of the participants’ views on the social support that is being provided to care leavers in preparation for independent living. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. Five main themes emerged from the data, namely the different levels and forms of residential support, social and structural support systems within residential care, the role of residential support after leaving residential care, residential care and emotional support networks, and the challenges of independent living. This study makes a meaningful contribution to the theory of care leaving, and contributes to the local care leaving knowledge base by describing a qualitative account of the