IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v180y2026ics0190740925005717.html

The indigenous child welfare system and transitions to independence: a scoping review

Author

Listed:
  • Ervin, Amanda
  • Odekina, Hannah
  • Dirk, Anika
  • Salehi-Shahrabi, Fatemeh
  • Luck, Chloe
  • Greenshields, Mary
  • Victor, Janice M.

Abstract

This scoping review examined research on Indigenous youths’ experiences as they transition to independence, and out of the child welfare system. Key topics included homelessness, barriers to cultural connections, mistrust of the welfare system, and contact with the criminal justice system as cross-over youths. Themes identified in this scoping review are Cultural Support for Transitions, Housing and Homelessness, Criminal Justice and Incarceration, and Social and Structural Determinants. Recommendations emphasized the extension of government support beyond 18 years of age and maintaining youth connections to family, community and culture. The review highlighted the need for more Indigenous-led research to better represent and address these issues.

Suggested Citation

  • Ervin, Amanda & Odekina, Hannah & Dirk, Anika & Salehi-Shahrabi, Fatemeh & Luck, Chloe & Greenshields, Mary & Victor, Janice M., 2026. "The indigenous child welfare system and transitions to independence: a scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:180:y:2026:i:c:s0190740925005717
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108688
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740925005717
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108688?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Haight, Wendy & Waubanascum, Cary & Glesener, David & Marsalis, Scott, 2018. "A scoping study of Indigenous child welfare: The long emergency and preparations for the next seven generations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 397-410.
    2. Gypen, Laura & Vanderfaeillie, Johan & De Maeyer, Skrallan & Belenger, Laurence & Van Holen, Frank, 2017. "Outcomes of children who grew up in foster care: Systematic-review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 74-83.
    3. Bussey, Marian & Lucero, Nancy M., 2013. "Re-examining child welfare's response to ICWA: Collaborating with community-based agencies to reduce disparities for American Indian/Alaska Native children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 394-401.
    4. Fowler, Patrick J. & Marcal, Katherine E. & Zhang, Jinjin & Day, Orin & Landsverk, John, 2017. "Homelessness and aging out of foster care: A national comparison of child welfare-involved adolescents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 27-33.
    5. Quinn, Ashley & Fallon, Barbara & Joh-Carnella, Nicolette & Saint-Girons, Marie, 2022. "The overrepresentation of First Nations children in the Ontario child welfare system: A call for systemic change," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    6. Sinha, Vandna & Ellenbogen, Stephen & Trocmé, Nico, 2013. "Substantiating neglect of first nations and non-aboriginal children," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2080-2090.
    7. Mendes, Philip & Standfield, Rachel & Saunders, Bernadette & McCurdy, Samone & Walsh, Jacinta & Turnbull, Lena, 2021. "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) young people leaving out-of-home care in Australia: A national scoping study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    8. Alberton, Amy M. & Angell, G. Brent & Gorey, Kevin M. & Grenier, Stéphane, 2020. "Homelessness among Indigenous peoples in Canada: The impacts of child welfare involvement and educational achievement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Brown, Delphine, 2023. "Childhood experiences, growing up “in care,” and trust: A quantitative analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    2. Barnes, Anthony R. & Constantine Brown, Jodi L. & McCarty-Caplan, David, 2019. "The unintended consequence of the Indian Child Welfare Act: American Indian trust in public child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 221-227.
    3. Bonakdar, Ahmad & Gaetz, Stephen & Banchani, Emmanuel & Schwan, Kaitlin & Kidd, Sean A. & O'Grady, Bill, 2023. "Child protection services and youth experiencing homelessness: Findings of the 2019 national youth homelessness survey in Canada," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 153(C).
    4. Michael Starr & Reinie Cordier & Eduwin Pakpahan & Matthew Robinson & Renée Speyer & Donna Chung, 2024. "Understanding how young people transitioning from out-of-home care acquire and develop independent living skills and knowledge: A systematic review of longitudinal studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 19(6), pages 1-23, June.
    5. Haight, Wendy & Waubanascum, Cary & Glesener, David & Day, Priscilla & Bussey, Brenda & Nichols, Karen, 2019. "The Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies: Reducing disparities through indigenous social work education," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 156-166.
    6. Edwards, Frank & Rocha Beardall, Theresa & Curtis, Hannah, 2023. "American Indian and Alaska Native overexposure to foster care and family surveillance in the US: A quantitative overview of contemporary system contact," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    7. Lindner, Abigail Rose & Hanlon, Ryan, 2024. "Outcomes of youth with foster care experiences based on permanency outcome – Adoption, aging out, long-term foster care, and reunification: A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    8. Haight, Wendy & Waubanascum, Cary & Glesener, David & Marsalis, Scott, 2018. "A scoping study of Indigenous child welfare: The long emergency and preparations for the next seven generations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 397-410.
    9. Colacchio Wesley, Bridget & Pryce, Julia & Barry, Johanna & Hong, Philip Young P., 2020. "Steadfast benevolence: A new framework for understanding important adult-youth relationships for adolescents in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    10. Jill R. McTavish & Christine McKee & Masako Tanaka & Harriet L. MacMillan, 2022. "Child Welfare Reform: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-24, October.
    11. Taylor, David & Roberts, Jessica & Rose, Vanessa & Gyani, Alex & Shlonsky, Aron, 2025. "Examining the impact of an accommodation and support intervention in reducing homelessness amongst care leavers in Australia: A hybrid type-1 implementation-effectiveness study using propensity score methods," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    12. Simmons-Horton, Sherri Y., 2017. "Providing age-appropriate activities for youth in foster care: Policy implementation process in three states," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 383-391.
    13. Hébert, Sophie T. & Esposito, Tonino & Hélie, Sonia, 2018. "How short-term placements affect placement trajectories: A propensity-weighted analysis of re-entry into care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 117-124.
    14. Alberton, Amy M. & Angell, G. Brent & Gorey, Kevin M. & Grenier, Stéphane, 2020. "Homelessness among Indigenous peoples in Canada: The impacts of child welfare involvement and educational achievement," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    15. John Fowler & Mark Zachry & David W. McDonald, 2023. "Policy Recommendations from an Empirical Study of an Online Foster Care Community," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(5), pages 2033-2054, October.
    16. Chassman, Stephanie & Littman, Danielle Maude & Bender, Kimberly & Santa Maria, Diane & Shelton, Jama & Ferguson, Kristin M. & Hsu, Hsun-Ta & Narendorf, Sarah C. & Barman-Adhikari, Anamika & Petering,, 2020. "Educational attainment among young adults experiencing homelessness in seven cities across the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    17. Stanborough, Manisha Abayakoon & Stanborough, Mikaela & Berger, Emily & Warren, Jessica & Allen, Kelly-Ann & Leif, Erin, 2025. "A scoping review of the program components, practice components, and outcomes of behaviour support programs delivered to children and young people in out-of-home care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    18. Fred Wulczyn & Xiaomeng Zhou & Jamie McClanahan & Scott Huhr & Kristen Hislop & Forrest Moore & Emily Rhodes, 2023. "Race, Poverty, and Foster Care Placement in the United States: Longitudinal and Cross-Sectional Perspectives," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(16), pages 1-19, August.
    19. Sting, Stephan & Stohler, Renate & Brady, Eavan & Gilligan, Robbie & Werner, Karin, 2025. "Barriers to the educational progress of care leavers: The neglected role of stigma?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    20. Bengtsson, Mattias & Sjöblom, Yvonne & Öberg, Peter, 2020. "Transitional patterns when leaving care – Care leavers’ agency in a longitudinal perspective," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:180:y:2026:i:c:s0190740925005717. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.