IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v81y2017icp332-339.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

To dream the impossible dream: Care leavers' challenges and barriers in pursuing their future expectations and goals

Author

Listed:
  • Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit

Abstract

Emerging adulthood is considered to be a period of many possibilities, expectations and aspirations for the future (Arnett, 2007). However, vulnerable young adults have fewer personal and social assets, which might limit their possibilities and goals. This exploratory study aims to investigate the challenges and barriers of 25 Israeli young adults who left care, while trying to realize their expectations and pursue their future plans. Thematic analysis revealed that these young peoples' perceptions of their future and their goal-setting are challenged mainly by their weak and unsupportive social ties, obligations to their biological parents, and poor personal capital. All of these challenges combined comprise a barrier to pursuing their future aspirations. The discussion addresses the connection between the challenges care leavers struggle with in their transition to independent living, their future outlook, and chosen paths in the context of emerging adulthood theory. Implications for practice suggest the importance of creating supportive follow up frameworks that allow care leavers to strengthen their social ties, build new positive and supportive relationships, and consult about future decisions, in order to increase their future possibilities and opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2017. "To dream the impossible dream: Care leavers' challenges and barriers in pursuing their future expectations and goals," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 332-339.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:81:y:2017:i:c:p:332-339
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.025
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740917305169
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.08.025?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2015. "Do they get what they expect?: The connection between young adults' future expectations before leaving care and outcomes after leaving care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 193-200.
    2. Biehal, Nina & Wade, Jim, 1996. "Looking back, looking forward: Care leavers, families and change," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 18(4-5), pages 425-445.
    3. Munson, Michelle R. & Lee, Bethany R. & Miller, David & Cole, Andrea & Nedelcu, Cristina, 2013. "Emerging adulthood among former system youth: The ideal versus the real," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 923-929.
    4. Benbenishty, Rami & Schiff, Miriam, 2009. "Perceptions of readiness to leave care among adolescents in foster care in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(6), pages 662-669, June.
    5. Goodkind, Sara & Schelbe, Lisa A. & Shook, Jeffrey J., 2011. "Why youth leave care: Understandings of adulthood and transition successes and challenges among youth aging out of child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 1039-1048, June.
    6. Zeira, Anat & Benbenishty, Rami, 2011. "Readiness for independent living of adolescents in youth villages in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2461-2468.
    7. Geenen, Sarah & Powers, Laurie E., 2007. ""Tomorrow is another problem": The experiences of youth in foster care during their transition into adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(8), pages 1085-1101, August.
    8. Ward, Harriet, 2011. "Continuities and discontinuities: Issues concerning the establishment of a persistent sense of self amongst care leavers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2512-2518.
    9. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2014. "Care leavers' challenges in transition to independent living," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 38-46.
    10. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit & Benbenishty, Rami, 2011. "Future expectations of adolescents in residential care in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(7), pages 1134-1141, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Stubbs, Alix & Baidawi, Susan & Mendes, Philip, 2023. "Young people transitioning from out-of-home care: their experience of informal support. A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    2. Bond, Sue & van Breda, Adrian, 2018. "Interaction between possible selves and the resilience of care-leavers in South Africa," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 88-95.
    3. Dumont, Annie & Lanctôt, Nadine & Paquette, Geneviève, 2022. "“I had a shitty past; I want a great future.”: Hopes and fears of vulnerable adolescent girls aging out of care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    4. Kaim, Zeev & Romi, Shlomo, 2021. "Work and family in normative and at-risk adolescents’ perception of their future," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    5. Itzhaki-Braun, Yael & Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2022. "Determination of life satisfaction among young women care leavers from the Ultraorthodox Jewish community," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    6. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2020. "Challenges in the transition to adulthood of young-adult Arabs who graduated from residential facilities in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    7. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit & Melkman, Eran, 2018. "Risk and resilience in the transition to adulthood from the point of view of care leavers and caseworkers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 135-140.

    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. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2017. "Barriers and resources in transition to adulthood among at-risk young adults," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 147-152.
    2. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2018. "Assets and pathways in achieving future goals of residential care alumni," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 71-76.
    3. Singer, Erin Rebecca & Berzin, Stephanie Cosner & Hokanson, Kim, 2013. "Voices of former foster youth: Supportive relationships in the transition to adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2110-2117.
    4. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Best, Jared I., 2019. "Understanding support network capacity during the transition from foster care: Youth-identified barriers, facilitators, and enhancement strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 220-230.
    5. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit & Melkman, Eran, 2018. "Risk and resilience in the transition to adulthood from the point of view of care leavers and caseworkers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 135-140.
    6. Bond, Sue & van Breda, Adrian, 2018. "Interaction between possible selves and the resilience of care-leavers in South Africa," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 88-95.
    7. Greeson, Johanna K.P. & Garcia, Antonio R. & Kim, Minseop & Thompson, Allison E. & Courtney, Mark E., 2015. "Development & maintenance of social support among aged out foster youth who received independent living services: Results from the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1-9.
    8. Arnau-Sabatés, Laura & Gilligan, Robbie, 2020. "Support in the workplace: How relationships with bosses and co-workers may benefit care leavers and young people in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    9. Schwartz Tayri, Talia Meital & Spiro, Shimon E., 2023. "The contribution of replicated follow-up studies to improving transitional housing programs for youths aging out of care in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    10. Dutta, Satarupa, 2017. "Life after leaving care: Experiences of young Indian girls," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 266-273.
    11. Lee, Chris & Berrick, Jill Duerr, 2014. "Experiences of youth who transition to adulthood out of care: Developing a theoretical framework," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 78-84.
    12. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Kothari, Brianne H. & Miller, Rebecca A., 2023. "Intervention development to improve foster youth mental health by targeting coping self-efficacy and help-seeking," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    13. Miller, Elizabeth A. & Paschall, Katherine W. & Azar, Sandra T., 2017. "Latent classes of older foster youth: Prospective associations with outcomes and exits from the foster care system during the transition to adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 495-505.
    14. Klein, Shaked & Shoshana, Avihu, 2020. "“What for? I'll be 18 soon and getting out of here”: Future orientation among immigrant at-risk youth in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    15. Rosenberg, Rachel, 2019. "Social networks of youth transitioning from foster care to adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    16. Calheiros, Maria Manuela & Patrício, Joana Nunes & Graça, João, 2013. "Staff and youth views on autonomy and emancipation from residential care: A participatory research study," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 57-66.
    17. Paul, June C., 2020. "Exploring support for LGBTQ youth transitioning from foster care to emerging adulthood," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    18. Kaim, Zeev & Romi, Shlomo, 2021. "Work and family in normative and at-risk adolescents’ perception of their future," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    19. Hiles, Dominic & Moss, Duncan & Wright, John & Dallos, Rudi, 2013. "Young people's experience of social support during the process of leaving care: A review of the literature," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 2059-2071.
    20. Melkman, Eran & Refaeli, Tehila & Benbenishty, Rami, 2016. "An empirical test of a model of academic expectations among youth in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 133-141.

    More about this item

    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:81:y:2017:i:c:p:332-339. 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.