Effective Transition/Pathway Plans for better coping on stepping out from care

Preparation for leaving care and after-care support are highly important stages to ensure that young people are adequately equipped with the necessary life skills to cope with living independently following their discharge from care. Care leavers require assistance during out-of-home care in preparation and planning for the transition, as well as the offer of support systems after leaving out-of-home care.37 This includes assisting care leavers with suitable accommodations along with other support needs. A safe and secure home is the foundation on which care leavers can build their lives after care. Having this base means that they can fulfil ambitions, gain qualifications or enter work, establish themselves within a community and put the difficulties of their childhoods behind them. While state and national policy recognise the need for better support of young people transitioning from care, many young people continue to face difficulties when they leave.

The last two chapters examined the supports provided by Rainbow Homes to young people in transition to independent living and explores the staff and the YAs’ views and experiences concerning housing and post care supports. It also focuses on other NGO’s experiences of managing YAs in different living spaces after transition from their respective organizations. The perceptions, challenges and experiences of YAs leaving care have been captured through in-depth interviews and FGDs with YAs and future focal persons of Rainbow Homes as well as care providers of sample organizations. Based on these findings, Chapter 5 focuses on the practices of post care interventions to be continued and overarching areas of interventions to be taken. Although a very limited number of organizations and care leavers are studied based on which the results cannot be generalised, however the findings do show the types of challenges in aftercare livings and practices that can be adopted towards the betterment of aftercare program.

Interviews with YAs and stakeholders in different organizations shows that many care leavers were simply excited to have more independence and freedom away from care homes, but after moving out from the homes, they acknowledged about feeling less prepared and having lesser understanding about what living independent would involve.

Initially we had great excitement at the time of transitions since we thought it would be great to live independently without any rule and instructions, to have our own freedom. We can see more challenges than enjoyments after moving from Rainbow Homes. – Care leavers from Bangalore, Kolkata

The study shows that organizations aim to ensure that all young adults leaving care are placed in suitable housing in the community as well as provide best of its supports in order to help them live independently. However, the care staff in sample organizations including Rainbow Homes face multiple challenges of complex nature in transition planning and delivering supports to YAs before they step out from institutional care. With the numbers of care leavers increasing significantly, the challenges come due to increased workloads on the staff with reduced capacities, lack of resources with organizations and lack of aftercare supports by the Governments. Additionally, the organizations stated that challenge to include practical trainings on household activities for better coping of YAs post transition is because of objections of government for pushing children into ‘work’. The JJ act and rules as well as the protection schemes, ICPs do not address the specific transition and rehabilitation planning and

37 McDowall, 2009;2011 Mendes, 2009; Mendes, et al.,2008; Stein, 2006

have inadequate provisions which only a handful of the organizations can access.

A lack of independent living skills resulted in young people having difficulties managing money, preparing food and keeping their homes clean (Mendes, 2010, p.19). The present study reveals that YAs leaving care lack important life skills required to live independently outside care system. Many of the YAs reported about feeling scared for independent life, not ready to manage a tenancy, especially in regards to paying bills and financial planning. In questions about what more could be included in the transition plans before leaving care, hands-on experiences on cooking and household management (budgeting, managing finances etc.) were given priorities by the YAs interviewed in this study. The research uncovered instances of YAs burning hands or food while cooking, failing to pay utility bills on time, being unable to fulfil their basic needs like washing clothes, manage household works and study simultaneously. It was also seen that most of the YAs learnt the practicalities of independent living through everyday mistakes in their living spaces, despite efforts of the organizations to develop independent living skills among children during their stay in CCIs.

Instilling financial responsibilities, value for money, managing finances are most crucial to independent living. Although there are trainings and workshops for YAs in all organizations on enhancing independent living skills, the findings show that YAs struggle with managing tenancy, finance, household responsibilities etc. The study lends further evidence to illustrate the ways in which lack of budgetary skills hindered YAs’ attempts to manage their finances on a daily basis. There are incidences that YAs supported with stipend on stepping out of institutional care spend the entire stipend within a few days and struggle at the end of the month with no money in hands. Many do not understand the importance of saving money after procuring salaried jobs, even though they have bank accounts. Hence, skill building activities should be part of the mandatory transition planning for 14-18 years of age group. The transition plans should address their financial capability and money management capacity, along with the strategies to develop their skills in this area. It is understood that there should be hands on experiences to be provided to YAs in

“While focusing on housing and professional skills of YAs on the verge of transition, developing independent skills gets lesser attention. We provide a little amount of pocket money every month to observe how they manage money while in the care. Also 15+ YAs are sent out for train ticket booking or operating bank so that they get practical skills much before transition. To teach YAs value for money, the YAs into jobs have to mandatorily keep their bank ATM cards with us for initial few months so that their salaries are saved and they do not get chance to spend their income on entertainments, mobile, outside food etc.” - Team at Don Bosco Hyderabad

“We take girls to grocery shops and market with some money to purchase required things so that they can understand the costs of the groceries, bargain and manage available finances with them.” – Team at Baale Mane, Bangalore

“Once the girls reach 14 years, we slowly give them trainings on cooking apart from other household chores so that they do not face difficulty to be on their own post transition from care.” – Team at Mahima India, Kolkata

existing transition plans on enhancing independent living skills, particularly on household economics.

Sample organizations spoke about initiatives such as taking YAs to markets to purchase things, manage the finance, bargain with shop keepers, bus or metro rides etc. which could be practiced at higher scale. Giving some amount of pocket money at the time of stay in care institutions and observing how

YAs utilise the pocket money can be a way to provide practical training on money management and habit of savings. Monitoring system to assess the financial status of the YAs living outside care institution to provide guidance on budgeting, saving techniques, investment options etc would help them understand finance responsibilities. As practiced by some of the sample organizations in this study, YAs into salaried full time/part time jobs can surrender their ATM cards to organization to restrict unnecessary spending of their hardearned income. Other important areas for independent living is to teach cooking, maintaining kitchen, taking responsibilities, being organized, etc. which YAs do not learn in care system as these are handled by care staff in all the organizations. Children during their stay in CCIs to be given increased levels of household responsibilities, based on their age and subject to their consent that would help YAs settle in independent living smoothly.

Initiative of “Transition Camp” by Rainbow

Homes, Hyderabad was to put girls of different age groups (16+) from different homes within

Rainbow Home set up for 15 days, whereas the YAs had shared responsibilities of cooking,

cleaning, preparing smaller girls for schools, grooming smaller girls etc. Such camp worked as mock for the girls to understand various practical difficulties in staying with girls of different mindsets and how to resolve conflicts by themselves without any adult interventions. Enhancing employability skills is another overarching area that needs focus. Interviews with

YAs of Rainbow Homes as well as stakeholders from sample organizations revealed that Young

Adults across different organizations are mostly unaware of the diverse options in job market and what each field entails and whether that is aligned with their own interest and capabilities. Apart from professional trainings for job readiness, well in advance training before transition on developing resilience, concentrate on roles, delivering tasks, being accountable and coping with stress at the workplace; as well as enhancing skills on English speaking, preparing resume, answering interview questions, arranging mock interviews etc. would help them to crack interviews. Role model interaction is a unique practice by Salaam Balaak

Trust where youth staying outside care systems visit the organizations periodically to interact with younger children and share their stories of ‘doing well’ in the outside world. Such interactions leave children with a feeling that ‘If they can do it, I also I!’ Interactions of Alumni groups who are well settled in different professions with younger generations in CCIs would help them understand challenges of independent living and how the alumni coped with the challenges. The Alumni group can be part of the decision-making process for their younger siblings and contribute to their transition plans bringing in practical difficulties faced by them after moving from care. Sample organizations in this study mentioned about strong alumni program and annual events where youth who left the care system are invited for a re-union. YAs interviewed in the study too mentioned about importance of alumni forum providing opportunities to

YAs staying outside care to connect to their organizations on regular basis to interact with

There are objections by social audit agencies or inspection committees from Department in teaching children the practical skills of cooking. How all of a sudden, we can expect them to be perfect in independent living skills, at 18 years? This might be changed with sharing of knowledge and raising awareness on leaving care issues.