‘I think it’s important to pursue your dreams without giving them up’. A national survey on the point of view of Care Leavers

Abstract

The title of this paper quotes the words of a girl who grew up in a youth residential care and participated in the national survey involving 100 Care Leavers from various Italian regions. The phrase “Care Leavers” refers to young people who leave the protected
residential care system and have to become “grown-up” quickly.
This research work, which is the development of previous exploratory investigations on the topic, highlights, through the views of
young people leaving the care system, the main protective factors related to achieving positive outcomes in the transition to autonomous life. At the same time, the quantitative and qualitative data collected in the study highlight a very composite picture of the life experiences of the sample involved, thus offering food for thought regarding the evaluation of the effectiveness of the educational and social support services implemented. The results, as evaluated in a systemic perspective, suggest highlight some key elements on which to focus attention to improve professional practices and the quality of residential care services and policies, in order to support care leavers in the process of transition, guaranteeing them the right to dream and grow up in contexts of constructive opportunities for their future.