Improving the Readiness of Transition-age Youth for Independent Living

Abstract

Whereas youth who age out from out-of-home care systems undergo a lot of difficulties economically, psychologically, and socially, the difficulties are preventable when the youth are well-prepared for independent living. However, there has been little study that examined how much youth in out-of-home care are prepared for independent living and how out-of- home care systems help them live independently. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate out-of-home care youth’s readiness for independence, experiences with receiving support and resources for independence, and demand for support for independent living. The study results reveals that there are significant differences in youth’s readiness for independence and experiences with independent living support and resources across types of out-of-home care: institutional care, group home, and foster care. Based on the study findings, this study has made some suggestions to improve independent living support system and the quality of independent living services.