Reid Carrie
Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare, Child Welfare League of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
New Dir Youth Dev. 2007 Spring(113):33-49, 10-1. doi: 10.1002/yd.200.
Around the world, the transition from adulthood is a difficult time for many youth. It is even more difficult for those who are transitioning to adulthood without the benefit of a support network full of family and friends. Youth leaving state care face a transition to independence and adulthood without many of the skills and supports most others take for granted. Preparedness is key to a successful transition, and youth leaving state care tend to be lacking it. In order for youth to truly be prepared for the transition process, they must have support in key areas of their lives: relationships, education, housing, life skills, identity, youth engagement, emotional healing, and adequate financial support. Without these supports, the dismal outcomes for youth transitioning to adulthood will remain unchanged. The United States, England, and Australia have successful programs targeting youth as they transition out of state care. These initiatives bring together and address the variety of needs of this unique population and aim to improve outcomes. While many of these programs and policies are in their infancy, they show promising results, and each contributes valuable experience to successfully working with youth through this tough transition.
在世界各地，从青少年向成年人的过渡对许多年轻人来说都是一段艰难的时期。对于那些在没有充满家人和朋友的支持网络的情况下向成年人过渡的人来说，这更是难上加难。离开国家照料体系的年轻人在向独立和成年过渡时，缺乏大多数其他人视为理所当然的许多技能和支持。做好准备是成功过渡的关键，但离开国家照料体系的年轻人往往缺乏这种准备。为了让年轻人真正为过渡过程做好准备，他们必须在生活的关键领域得到支持：人际关系、教育、住房、生活技能、身份认同、青年参与、情感治愈以及充足的经济支持。没有这些支持，向成年人过渡的年轻人的糟糕结局将依然如故。美国、英国和澳大利亚都有针对离开国家照料体系的年轻人的成功项目。这些举措汇聚并满足了这一独特群体的各种需求，旨在改善结局。虽然这些项目和政策中的许多都尚处于起步阶段，但它们显示出了令人鼓舞的成果，并且每个项目都为在这一艰难过渡过程中成功帮助年轻人贡献了宝贵的经验。
