Quality Care Counts: Preparing Young Persons for Life After Care

Longitudinal research, Child Rights Situation Analysis, 2014 shows that out of the identifiable groups in the society, young persons who have been in alternative care because of the loss of care of their biological families are more likely to experience deprived outcomes in life once leaving care. Incidents of financial problems, health issues, safety concerns, drug & alcohol misuse and depression are much higher among this youth group. Care leavers with basic education, without proper family & social support and employable life skills are at the higher risk. SOS Children's Villages, Sri Lanka has realised the significance and the need to prepare youth for leaving care which is the crucial ingredient of a successful alterative care system. A percentage of 65 young persons, who were systematically integrated to the society after being in SOS care, are satisfied with the process of integration, where 85% stated that the education that is formal, informal and non-formal received is sufficient to find a better employment. Young persons who received vocational training had more advantage in initiating successful self-employments than others (SOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka, 2011). Further, the family roots esteemed in SOS concept have given young person's confidence to associate with society as a normal person as they have a mother, brothers and sisters and a home of their own. However, imparities in law and implications in education system create discrimination for young person's coming from alternative care (SOS Children's Villages Sri Lanka, 2014), and the complications of biological and psychosocial factors of young persons create scenarios where the individualised process of integration is required. Furnishing young person's with employable skills, proving a family environment to grow and effective process on integration to society with psychosocial support will provide young persons the empowerment to become independent and live a productive life after care.