Girls in Residential Care

Abstract

Research activities in the area of care leaving and transition to adulthood, across newlinedifferent types of placements, composition of care-leavers population and national newlineboundaries, consistently report poor outcomes in education and well-being among newlinecare-leavers. This social exclusion becomes more severe due to discrimination on newlinethe basis of gender, race, nationality and disabilities. Unfortunately, only a limited newlineamount of documented literature is available about these experiences. The newlinecollection becomes scantier when it comes to studies from developing countries newlinelike Africa, China, South America and India. Therefore, this study captured the newlinepreparation and experiences of social reintegration among girls in care and careleavers. newlineIt included different aspects of social reintegration, highlighting the newlineparticipants perception about their present physical, educational, emotional, social newlineand financial status and their expectation of the future. newlineTwo hundred girls from primarily nine residential care homes in the newlineMetropolitan cities of Mumbai and Kolkata were selected for the study. Among newlinethem, one hundred girls were presently residing in residential care and preparing for newlinesocial reintegration; and the other hundred were care-leavers experiencing social newlinereintegration. The study was a phenomenological study which captured both the newlinesubjective experiences of participants and the objective experiences of something newlinewhich they had in common with other girls. It embarked on the path of mixed newlinemethod and used a Concurrent/Triangulation Mixed Method Design with Merged newlineResults. The researcher felt, that while quantitative data ensured precision in the newlinestudy, the qualitative data brought richness. For the quantitative aspect, two newlineinstruments were developed to measure preparation for social reintegration and newlineexperience of social reintegration. The qualitative data was presented through a newlinecomposite description. newlineOverall, the girls in care who were preparing for their social reintegration newlinerendered mixed responses. Their level of preparation varied across the different newlineorganisations, while some participants were more confident about their forthcoming newline!x newlinetransition, others were scared, lost and helpless. Children who had to exit the care newlinesystem at a younger age felt more confused and powerless. Other factors such as the newlinegood educational achievements or ability to pursue higher education, access to a newlinewell-paid job, a secure place to stay and savings or financial support increased their newlineconfidence for social reintegration. The lack of trust in relationship between the newlineparticipants and the organisations, made them feel more insecure and vulnerable. newlineThe quantitative findings revealed that preparation for social reintegration was newlinepositively associated with the age of the girls, their educational qualification, newlineavailable support network and their self-esteem. In fact, the level of preparation for newlinesocial reintegration could be predicted by age of the girls and their self-esteem. newlineCare-leavers associated their present experience of social reintegration newlinestrongly with their preparedness to leave care. For some a smooth transition out of newlinecare, led to a secure future. For others a sudden withdrawal, complicated their lives, newlineafter leaving care. Once again, the preparation and experience of social newlinereintegration among the girls significantly varied with the models of care and the newlinetype of residential care homes. The qualitative descriptions showed that the newlineexperiences of these girls were affected by the nature of after-care services, type of newlinesupport network, nature of relationships, career opportunities, cultural moorings newlineand state involvement. The quantitative analysis highlighted a significant newlineassociation of the experience of the girls with the level of happiness in residential newlinecare, preparation for social reintegration, age of leaving care, educational newlinequalification and level of fulfilment of career goals. Their access to support newlinenetwork, comfort level in present accommodation and self-esteem was also newlinepositively correlated with their experience of social reintegration. newlineIn the final segment, based on the findings a framework for social newlinereintegration was proposed where the contribution of different actors, such as the newlineresidential care home (especially the professional social worker and psychologist), newlinefamily, educational institution and the state, were highlighted. newline