New Professional Approaches for Care Leaver in Foster Care: Training “Coaching to Go!”

Introduction: The number of young people with limited or non-existent social participation is growing. Characteristic is the proportion of young homeless individuals who had previous institutional contact with youth welfare. For this group of Care Leavers, the assistance provided can be considered inadequate and unsuccessful. Their life and health situation can be described as precarious. Research Aim: The practice research project aims improvement in the situation of care leavers with specific courses of development regarding their psychological and physical health, their social participation and overall life condition. (Care leavers grew up in out-of-family placements / foster families (according to §§ 27, 2; 33–34 SGB VIII) and are characterized as young people that are leaving or have left these public youth welfare institutions.) It is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and carried out in cooperation with various practice institutions inter alia youth welfare, addiction care and homeless assistance facilities, educational institutions and job centers. Research Method: This study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, following a complementary design type, with the results integrated. Results: Care Leavers with specific problems and developmental situations exhibit significant discontinuities in their upbringing, face difficulties, a lack of positive life orientation, and social relationships, and are characterized by unresolved developmental tasks and critical life events. Conclusion: The identified psychosocial developmental disorders and stressors require increased professional care – better assessment, case management, trainings for Resource Activation and Resilience Promotion – both within the framework of youth welfare and other support facilities.