The Journey of Orphan and Destitute Youth in Aftercare Programme in Maharashtra

Abstract

The aftercare programme is a transition phase from institutional care to reintegration and newline rehabilitation of young adults from institutional care. It is yet to be implemented adequately in newline India. The study focuses on orphan youth and discusses challenges, experiences, and support newline given during and post aftercare while they start their independent life. The study uses a mixed- newline method where an interview schedule was used for Young Adult Orphans (YAO) aged between newline 18-23 and Orphan Youths (OYs) aged between 22 to 25 years, and an interview guide was used newline for staff and the officials and field practitioners (key informants). The key findings of the newline research suggest that the majority of orphan youth have been facing difficulties to get newline accommodation, employment, continuing their education, and faced stigma/discrimination as newline they were coming from institutional and orphan backgrounds. One of the study s aims was to newline propose an aftercare programme for orphan and destitute youth through the research findings. newline The proposed model talks about early intervention, systematic care, participation in Individual newline development plans, and holistic development of orphan and destitute children and youth and newline extending support in the initial period while they start living independently in the community. newline It has also been recommended to the state to depute adequate budget, and appropriate human newline resources and develop effective aftercare guidelines specifically for the young adult orphans at newline the macro level. This study also proposed having a specific support system through existing newline government welfare policies and programmes for the inclusive growth and development of newline orphan youth. newline Key Words newline Aftercare Programme, Orphan and Destitute youth, Rehabilitation, Transition, the Young newline Adult orphan. newline