From Institutional Care to Real Life: Uncertainties, Problems, And Social Policy

<p>This study examines the social, economic and psychological challenges faced by young people raised in institutional care when they transition to independent living. It also explores how these challenges relate to current social policy practices. Those raised under state protection often transition into adulthood earlier and under more uncertain conditions than their peers. This paper was prepared based on a literature review of the problems experienced by individuals who have left institutional care and transitioned to independent living. The research discusses the difficulties experienced during the period after leaving care within the framework of theoretical approaches in the literature, focusing on neoliberal social policies, stigmatisation, a lack of family capital, social exclusion and inadequate institutional support. Drawing on previous studies of the experiences of these individuals after leaving care, the study outlines the general problems they encounter. Young people leaving institutional care encounter multidimensional challenges, including stigmatisation, a lack of family support and social exclusion. Goffman’s theory of stigma and Bourdieu’s concept of capital are employed to elucidate their social disadvantages. Neoliberal policies reduce the state’s social responsibilities, leaving individuals to fend for themselves, a gap that NGOs only partially fill. However, the lack of structural support negatively affects these young people’s access to education, employment and their overall quality of life. Therefore, long-term, rights-based social policy interventions are needed.</p>