Longitudinal analysis of the transition to adulthood of people separated from the child and adolescent welfare system

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. The effective protection of children and adolescents undergoing social difficulty requires that they acquire the necessary competences to achieve fully independent adulthood. Youth who are separated from the welfare system face the process of emancipation immersed in particularly complex conditions. The experiences that led to the welfare case file have certain consequences on their life itinerary. Academic failure, contextual and social relations marked by vulnerability, and compulsory early access to the labor market are factors that determine the paths to emancipation. The study analyzes the first months outside of residential or family care. METHOD. The qualitative, longitudinal investigation, using participant observation of cases and interviews to construct life narratives, allows performing a flexible follow-up during the first steps of independent life. Using an intentional sample, it analyzes the process of transition of 11 ex-tutored people. The narratives of 6 youths for during a 21-month period were constructed. The observations were carried out with 5 cases during a 10-month stage. RESULTS. Participative deficits in decision-making concerning issues of interest for the life itineraries; training incidents in job access and maintenance; absence of social support; greater acquisition of competences for an independent life in specialized emancipation resources. DISCUSSION. The Welfare System's socio-educational accompaniment does not yet prioritize training in the necessary competences to achieve autonomy in adulthood. The training issue is a decisive factor for social inclusion. Job access and permanence are essential to be able to live a dignified life. In reversible trajectories, it is necessary to give people a second chance, with specialized socioeducational accompaniment.